


This Mortal [C]oil: Part 1 (a se[A] of memories)

by Axumas365



Series: This Mortal [C]oil [1]
Category: Drag-On Dragoon | Drakengard, NieR: Automata (Video Game), Nier Gestalt | Nier Replicant | Nier (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex (referenced not written), Explicit Consent, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Implied Relationships, Jackass is nonbinary, M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Other, Philosophical Debate - Freeform, References to Depression, Robot/Human Relationships, Suicidal Thoughts, Therapy, consent is important, no means no people, seriously, still crazy though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 79,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27870890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axumas365/pseuds/Axumas365
Summary: Daniel Edwards was not extraordinary. Skinny as a reed, awkward to a fault, and, while somewhat intelligent, not very articulate. So, when White Chlorination Syndrome hit Earth like a hammer against a pane of glass, he had no chance of surviving the devastation. He declined the ultimatum of those 'Gods,' and suffered the fate of all who caught this disease: a slow, disturbingly painless death. That is what should have been.A2 was the last surviving member of her squad. Used, betrayed, and left for dead, she seeks two simple things: revenge against YoRHa, and the complete eradication of Machine life. It drives her emotions, her actions, her every waking thought. It is her mission. It is her reason for living. For after it is done... there will be no one left to mourn her passing. That fate was averted, in a different time.And it shall be averted once more.Defying fate, chance, and things as they should be, Daniel is put back on Earth in the year 11945 AD. With the help of a grumpy Android, an odd skeleton head, and a Pod that's way too sassy to be defective, he'll uncover long-forgotten secrets, uncomfortable truths, and discover that even one as ordinary as him has avenues to become extraordinary.
Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata), 6O/21O (NieR: Automata), A2/A4 (NieR: Automata) (Past Relationship), A2/Daniel (Original Character), Anemone (NieR: Automata)/Sasha (Original Character), Jackass (NieR Automata)/Accord (Drag-On Dragoon)
Series: This Mortal [C]oil [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040490
Comments: 57
Kudos: 100





	1. Miracle or Damnation?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you for deciding to read this! So, while this is not my first foray into the world of fanfiction, it is my first time both posting to this particular site and writing for the NieR and Drakengard fandom. I've only personally played the original NieR and Automata, but I am learning as much as I can about the Drakengard universe, since certain concepts will be relevant to this story.
> 
> Now, if you haven't played Automata... well, first off, spoilers for the main game and some of the side quests. Secondly: what the fuck are you still doing here?! Go play or watch the damn game, it's worth every single penny! Also, if you don't have a heart of solid stone, prepare to get emotional. Fair warning.
> 
> This will be an OC-centric story, but I will give my due diligence to ensure that all the relevant characters from Automata get as much page-time as I can give them. The OCs themselves won't start out particularly powerful, but they won't be weak forever. That'd be awfully boring, wouldn't it?
> 
> Anyways, without further ado, I present to you: the first chapter of This Mortal [C]oil! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

The darkness that surrounded him was not cold, or impassive. This darkness was not a void in which he would be swallowed up, never to be seen again. No, this darkness was, instead, warm, and comfortable. Like being wrapped in a big, fluffy blanket as one drifted off to the sweet bliss of slumber. 

Death was like that. Peaceful. Undisturbed. Warm. Dying? That was unpleasant. But Death? Death was like a dreamless sleep. A sleep that would go on for eternity. It is not a cruelty, or a punishment, or a reward. It is simply the way things are. A universal truth. 

At least, that is the way things were meant to be. 

*** 

Daniel had fallen asleep in his sterile hospital bed, his body in the final stages of turning to pure white crystal, taking in his final breath of sterile air as his soul departed his flesh, never to return. 

Then, he took another breath. 

Then another. 

And another. 

The air he breathed wasn’t the same as the air in the hospital, so sterile you could almost taste the chemicals. No, this air was deep, rich, somewhat earthy. It was confusing. Would an afterlife have air this rich? Would it even have air at all? 

Daniel opened his eyes. With that action, his senses came back all at once. He felt clothes against his skin, and through those clothes, he felt the grass beneath his back. He smelled the rich scents and smells unique to forests teeming with life. He heard the sound of bugs chittering about, water flowing through in a stream, and the brief rustle of leaves as the wind ran its way through the branches. 

He sat himself up, stretched his arms, and took it all in. The sounds, the scents, the feelings; all of it. 

… 

“Huh. So, either the Norse were right and I’m in Folkvangr instead of Helheim for some reason, or I’m somehow not dead.” 

Daniel almost laughed as he said that. Not dead? Really? There had been an odd gap in between breaths, but that had been all. After that, he had simply woken up. One did not simply die and then wake up unless they were in some kind of afterlife. And he was most certainly dead. He’d caught White Chlorination Syndrome, said ‘fuck you’ to those gods that had made him that incredibly shitty offer, and promptly began the process of slowly turning to salt and crystal. He was fucked either way, and he would rather die than become one of those... _things._ Literally, it seemed. 

He stood, and was forced to find his balance almost immediately. This body felt familiar, similar to the one that he’d had before catching White Chlorination Syndrome, but it also felt foreign. He seemed to be taller than he had been, though not by much, and his limbs moved faster than he was used to. Slowly, he gained a steady sense of balance, if still somewhat shaky, and managed to bring himself over to the stream flowing nearby. That was when he noticed something... off. 

“Where the hell are my glasses?” 

It was a strange thing to focus on, he would freely admit to that. His face was his own, his body was his own, and even the clothes he wore were things he remembered wearing from before being hospitalized. But he somehow felt wrong, seeing himself without glasses. Even stranger was the fact that he could see just fine without them. In fact, his vision seemed sharper than it had ever been. Just like the rest of his body. 

“This is getting more and more surreal by the second,” Daniel said to himself. Still, he double-checked himself, just to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. Sure enough, his own face stared back at him: an average young man with pale skin, short brown hair, and green eyes. His clothes consisted of a black t-shirt, a dark green jacket, grey cargo pants, and grey shoes with dark green designs. Even his old tree necklace, a gift from his dad, hung around his neck, where it had stayed for almost seven years. 

When he took a look at his body, however, he found that his earlier suspicions had been true. This body was both familiar and foreign to him. It was still recognizably his own body, but perfected. Daniel had never been bulky, his physiology had simply dictated his metabolism and body type, but he’d never had any significant muscle mass either. Now, he felt lean, like he was in his body’s peak physical condition, built like a swimmer would be at their peak. He didn’t feel bulky, or like he could lift anything that was too heavy, but he did feel much stronger than he had been before. Maybe this afterlife granted access to one’s ideal form or something? 

Either way, this altered body was going to take some getting used to. So, without much worry, Daniel chose a direction and started walking away from the stream in a random direction, nearly tripping once as he left, his balance still asserting itself. After all, he had nothing to worry about. He was dead. He couldn’t somehow be killed a second time. 

*** 

A2 finished the last of the Machine platoon that she had stumbled across, her Type 40 blade slicing through the metal of their ramshackle armor and bland body as easily as it ever had. Most would take the time to think of an appropriate metaphor for such an action. Thinking of metaphors wasted time one could be using to kill Machines. 

The next patrol wouldn’t be around for a while. So, ever the diligent warrior, she sheathed her blade and started walking through the thick of the forest, her only thoughts leading to the next fight. She had to focus on that. Kill Machines for what they did to you. Destroy YoRHa for tossing you and your friends aside like trash. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. 

But among those thoughts of revenge and death, she suddenly remembered her reason for doing all of this, and felt a pang of grief as she remembered. The people she’d loved. The ones she’d lost. Number 4... Oh god, Number 4... 

_No. Don’t... you can’t think about them right now._

She continued to repeat some variation of this to herself even as more Machines lined themselves up for battle. Relieved to see the slaughter ahead to distract her from the pain in her memories, A2 drew her blade, and sank into the carnage. No metaphor for the sensation, the relief it gave. She dropped into it, and slaughtered them all. 

*** 

Daniel had been expecting to find plenty of things in his walk as his balance reasserted itself in this new, perfected body of his. He had expected fairies, elves, maybe a god of some kind. It was unlikely, but considering which afterlife he might be in, it wasn’t entirely out of the question. 

He had not been expecting to come across the corpses of a bunch of robots with such a variety of grisly deaths. Most had simply been bisected: vertically, horizontally, diagonally, what have you. Some of the larger ones looked like they’d had chunks taken out of them before they’d been killed, as though it had taken someone, or something, a while to hack their way through them. There was one, however, which dwarfed all the rest of the robots around him: a massive thing with arms as thick as the trunks of the trees around him and as tall as at least three stories. At least, it had been before someone sliced it apart in four different places, causing it to collapse in rough, uneven portions. Oil trickled from the bodies like blood, wiring, and mechanisms spilling out like intestines. It would’ve seemed more brutal if these were people. But, this did raise an important question for Daniel. 

Why would an afterlife have robots? And if it did, why were these ones dead on the ground? 

“This is getting creepy,” Daniel muttered to himself, leaning down to look at the head of a fallen robot. It was a featureless, rusted metal ball, with only a small pair of eyes and a single seam that had been welded shut for structural purposes. “And you certainly aren’t helping. Seriously, who would design a robot without some kind of face?” 

_More importantly: who would kill robots like this? Who_ _could_ _kill robots like this? This metal isn’t that thick, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to cut through it._

He was startled from his thoughts when he heard the sounds of battle in the near distance. A woman’s voice yelled in exertion as metal beat against metal, swiftly followed by an explosion before the sounds of fighting continued on. That was probably the person who’d killed all of these robots so easily. The fighting was further away, perhaps a few hundred feet from where he was right now. It would probably be best to get as far away from those noises as he could. If that person had killed this group of robots by herself, then she would probably be fine on her own. 

Still, he was curious. If Daniel was already dead, then he wouldn’t have to worry about dying a second time. Probably. So, he could at least get a good look at what was going on without getting too close. Maybe he could approach whoever was fighting after everything was said and done. Maybe he would get some answers about where he was. But on the other hand- 

His thoughts were immediately interrupted when something large and heavy began lumbering behind him. Daniel quickly scrambled back, and caught a glimpse of the thing that was now behind him. It looked like the same model as the robot that had been sliced into four: same general size and build, same weird legs, same tiny head with eyes that were now glowing instead of dead, and, of course, the same massive arms that looked as though they could casually break the trunks of trees in half. As it caught sight of the only living being in its path, its eyes briefly flashed before turning a sudden, rather horrifying red. 

So, Daniel did the only thing that seemed remotely logical at that moment, and ran like hell in the other direction, straight towards the site of the still-raging battle. 

For the first time, he was quite thankful for this suddenly athletic version of his body. While he had never been entirely physically inactive in his old body, he never would’ve been able to do something like this. He’d have been gasping for breath far before then. Strangely, his sense of balance wasn’t much of a concern as he ran through the forest, hopping over bushes and scrambling over rocks as the giant robot rushed after him, every footstep echoing through the forest in all directions. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that he was being chased. 

He ran and ran and ran some more. The sounds of battle were drawing close, and, from the lowered pace, Daniel guessed that it was nearly over. Great! Maybe whoever was there could help him out! 

As he turned the corner, almost sliding on the condensation gathered by the grass beneath him, he saw a woman with wild white hair frantically fighting against another one of these giants, dodging one of its massive fists by a hair’s breadth before slashing down with her sword. The sword itself looked as though it was from the far future, and it cut like it too, the woman squeezing some kind of trigger as it sliced clean through the thing’s arm, causing something inside of it to explode. It could still move its arm, but it looked somehow more vulnerable. 

Daniel would’ve yelled out a warning to her that another one of the damned things was coming after him, but he was promptly distracted by the activity that was currently preserving his life: running like hell. Still, the thunderous footsteps from the giant robot caused her to whip her head in his general direction, cursing up a storm as she realized that she would have to fight another one of these damned things. 

Still, Daniel didn’t slow down, running straight onwards, desperate to escape the one immediately behind him. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Logic would dictate that, since these things were so large, they were also very, very heavy. So, that would mean that their gathered momentum from, say, chasing after a particularly slippery target, would be much harder to redirect once they picked up speed. 

So, without much more thought, and a silent prayer that this half-baked idea would somehow work, Daniel slid between the legs of the gigantic robot directly in front of him. Less than a second later, the sound of metal crashing into metal filled the air. Daniel managed to stop himself, his arms digging into the wet grass and rich soil, and turned around to see the carnage he had just caused. Sure enough, he had, somehow, been right. The giant robots toppled atop each other, trying to get up only to be stopped by the other as they almost started fighting each other. It was a bit like watching a pair of toddlers with oversized arms wrestle for a toy. 

Still, the white-haired woman found an opportunity to strike, slicing through both of their featureless heads with her futuristic sword. While there was no resulting explosion, as media would dictate to be appropriate for this kind of situation, she did give her blade a flourish to clean it of the oil that had spilled onto it. 

Then she turned to him, and Daniel got a proper look at her. She was beautiful. Her long, wild white hair framed a face that seemed to be perfect in every way: full lips, a delicate nose, large, azure blue eyes and a small beauty mark next to her chin. Her figure was slim, and curvy, but that was no reason to doubt her apparent strength. Especially after the firsthand demonstration and her previous scene of robotic carnage. Her choice in clothing was very... risqué. She wore the vestiges of what seemed to be a black tank top, though some faded embroidery towards the bottom hem remained from an earlier time, along with a pair of skintight black gloves that reached to halfway up her biceps, a pair of black short shorts, a single stocking on her right leg, and a pair of heeled black shoes that exposed the toes on her left foot. 

Still, something seemed... off. Not with the woman herself, but with the way her clothes seemed to appear to him. They seemed less like skintight adornments and more like... they were almost part of her. Like they were partially fused to her skin. Then, he saw seams and rivets on her skin, most noticeable on her left leg: her thigh, shin, and knee areas. Then he saw something similar at her biceps, her shoulders, her collarbone. There was visible wear and tear to her clothing, and her body wasn't too far behind in that regard. She was speckled all over with dirt and grime, as though she hadn’t bathed for weeks, and minuscule scratches throughout her exposed skin. 

And still, Daniel found her truly captivating. Like a flower blooming out of tough concrete. 

Then the moment passed, and there was murder in her eyes. 

Quickly raising his hands in surrender, Daniel shakily got to his feet; there was adrenaline rushing through his entire body, his shaking limbs were evidence enough of that. She marched over to him, unsheathing the blade that had just cut down so many robots, and leveled the tip at his throat. “Who are you, and why are you out here? Talk.” 

Her voice seemed somewhat melodious, but also harsh, and sharp as the sword at his throat. It was not a request, it was a demand. 

So, as carefully as he could, Daniel said, “Well, erm... my name is Daniel Edwards and... I have no idea where the hell I am or how I got here.” 

. 

.. 

… 

“... bullshit,” she responded. “Do you know how many Androids have tried to bait me with the whole ‘I don’t know’ schtick?” 

“I’m guessing from your tone that it’s more than zero?” 

“Start making sense or I’ll gut you like a fish.” 

“I’m trying!” Daniel felt a bead of sweat run down his cheek. “It’s not exactly easy to gather my thoughts with a sword at my throat!” 

“I find that threat of pain makes Androids more truthful.” 

“Yeah, well the threat of pain just makes me want to freak the hell out!” His composure was starting to slip from his grasp. Crap. How to explain himself without... wait, what had she just called him? 

“Did you... did you call me an Android?” 

This time, it was the woman’s turn to look confused. At least, as much as she could without dropping the cold front of certain murder. “Yeah. It’s what you are. Though I certainly haven’t seen a male model as tall as you are. Are you some test run for a new combat Android?” 

“Test run- no! I’m human!” 

She gave a mirthless chuckle. “Okay, now I know you’re crazy. The last of humanity is on the moon. Literally every Android ever made knows that. How dumb are you going to play?” 

“I’m not playing dumb! The last thing I remember before waking up here was dying in a fucking hospital bed! I thought I was in some kind of afterlife before I started running for my life from that giant robot!” Hell, he still thought me might be in one, but that might be a little too much for her to believe. 

That admission actually gave her pause. Still, she went on with her denial, as if she couldn’t believe what he’d said. “YoRHa hasn't done memory implants since my generation. Are you an older model that had its routines reset? What’s your type and number?” 

“For the last goddamn time, I! Am not! An Android! And what the fuck is YoRHa?” 

Her mask of cold determination suddenly crumbled away. She looked genuinely, truly shocked. Apparently, this YoRHa thing was common knowledge enough to be a notable gap in his awareness. Maybe it would convince her that he was telling the truth. “You... you don’t...” 

“Look, I don’t want to repeat myself anymore, but I am human. I don’t know why that’s so shocking. You’re human, right? I mean, you look like one with cybernetic enhancements, at least.” 

“N-no,” she said, her sword wavering at his throat. “No, I’m an Android. But...” 

She was silent for several moments, her brow scrunched together in thought. After staying like that for several moments, she brought the tip of her blade away from his throat, and drove it through the earth next to her, still within arm's reach. Then, with a fluid motion, she slid her hand beneath his shirt and pressed it flat against his chest. 

The sudden sensation of her surprisingly soft, gloved hand against his chest sent a shock rolling through his senses. Soon after, it dawned on him that a very attractive woman was touching his bare chest, and he struggled to keep his now raging hormones in check. _This woman was holding a sword to your throat only a few seconds ago. She threatened to kill you in a rather painful manner if you didn’t give her information. She cut through those robots like they were made of butter, what makes you think she couldn’t kill you even faster than that?_

He kept telling himself that as he struggled to not make his situation any more awkward than it already was. The longer her hand remained, the wider her eyes became. He actually thought he saw her jaw begin to go slack. Then, so quietly it was almost a whisper, she muttered, “He has a heartbeat.” 

“Erm... yeah, why would that.” 

“You’re telling the truth. You’ve got a heartbeat. You’re...” The shock of the revelation seemed to take the strength out of her legs, causing her to slump to the ground. “You’re actually human. You’re human, and you’re here. You're on earth. How are you... how did you get down from the moon?” 

“Erm... sorry to disappoint...” Daniel said as he sat himself down, uncomfortable being the only one standing up. “... but I’ve never been to the moon, let alone space-” 

“That’s impossible!” she exclaimed. “It should be impossible! The surviving humans are all on the moon, everyone knows that.” 

“I... don’t know what to tell you. I was in a hospital, dying from White Chlorination Syndrome, and the next thing I know, I’m in this forest with a body that’s like a perfected version of my old one, and a crazy lady who sliced through a bunch of robots like they were made of paper.” 

“Machines.” 

“... huh?” 

“They’re called Machines. They were made by the aliens that came to earth and started trying to eradicate mankind.” 

… 

“... okay, you’re gonna have to run that by me again. Aliens-” 

“Are very, very real. They made the Machines to be living weapons as to fight a proxy war with us Androids. We were made to fight the Machines because they couldn’t. The conflict’s gone on and off a few times, but I think we’re in the... fourteenth? Yeah, the fourteenth Machine War.” 

Fourteen wars? He’d... there had been a total of fourteen wars against these things? And she’d said that they were on earth. That squashed any further ideas that this was some kind of afterlife. Really, his thoughts had been a bit ridiculous on that front. But... 

“What... what year is it?” 

The question terrified him, as did the potential answer this woman would give. Still, Daniel needed to know. He needed to know what was going on. He needed to know where he was. He needed... he needed something to hold on to. 

“I think it’s 11945 AD. Or something like that,” the woman replied, her voice monotone. 

The last date that Daniel had remembered was sometime in July of 2023. Almost ten thousand years. He had been flung almost ten thousand years into the far future, with a perfected body, these ‘Machines’ roaming around everywhere, and Androids that looked like humans were fighting a very long war against them. And... 

“I... I think-” 

Something rustled in the bushes nearby. This sudden distraction caused the woman to snap upwards and grab her futuristic sword from where she stabbed it into the ground. “Talk later. Let’s get the hell away from here so we can process our respective shock and awe in privacy.” 

“That sounds delightful, honestly,” Daniel said, hopping to his feet, following the woman away as he pushed his shock to the back of his mind. Like she’d just said, he could be properly shocked once they were actually safe. 

“I, uh, probably should’ve asked this sooner, but... what’s your name?” Daniel asked as he ran, barely able to keep up with the white-haired woman even with this newly athletic body. 

“A2. If that counts as a name,” she answered, casually swiping her blade towards the bushes as a shockwave that the sword generated cut a hidden Machine in half. “Now move your ass! I’d like to be properly pissed at everything once I don’t have to kill Machines every five seconds."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I hope that everyone enjoyed the first chapter! The next one should be out before too long! After this first part is over and done with, I'll probably be taking a break to write the second part. Anyway, I hope to see you in the next one!


	2. Swords and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel is further displaced, A2 struggles to keep composed, and something else begins to loom on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 2 everybody! This will be somewhat longer than Chapter 1, but it's still primarily setup for things to come. Things will start to really get moving in either the third or fourth chapter, though it'll more than likely be the latter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

The campsite that A2 had set up wasn’t really much, in the way of campsites. It was more like a large gash that formed of a cave in the stone of a sheer cliff that the Machines probably wouldn’t be able to climb into. For the moment, it seemed they were safe.

That... that was hard to process. All of this was stupidly hard to process. As if dying hadn’t been enough of a shock to the system; and he had died, Daniel had no doubts about that, he had just learned that, somehow, through no power or will of his own, he had been flung into the future. To add more to the pile of ‘unbelievable stuff,’ humanity was on the moon, and there was a world-wide proxy war being fought between Machines and Androids, the latter taking after the appearance of their creators while the former looked as though they’d been designed to be built and shipped out as quickly as possible.

A2 was currently sitting at one far end of the cave, looking down at her futuristic sword as she idly moved it around in her hands. He couldn’t blame her. He had dropped some stuff on her that, admittedly, seemed to affect her rather heavily. Daniel sat at the other end of the cave, idly fiddling with his tree pendant. The pendant that his father had given to him. 

He had done the proper math, now. Nine thousand, nine hundred, twenty-two years. It was such a vast amount of time that he almost couldn’t conceive of it. How many people had died? How many of their stories had been forgotten? Did the people on the moon remember even a scrap of what it was like on the earth?

Then, before he could spiral further and further into an existential nightmare, a question broke the silence.

“Do you... what’s it like, being... human?”

The question had come from A2, who was still rotating her blade slowly between her fingers, though her eyes were now on Daniel. Her eyes didn’t seem cold, impassive, though an edge still remained to her gaze and in her expression. However, they seemed more curious than anything else. As if she had never met an actual human before. 

“That’s... a question that a lot of people were asking for a very, very long time,” Daniel said as honestly as he could. “It was a lot of different things to a lot different people. And I’m not exactly an expert on the subject of my own species. There are a lot of answers. Some were made by optimists and scholars who wanted to understand what it meant to be alive. Some of them were made by people so self-absorbed that they may as well be crazy. Some of them worked, some of them didn’t. There was never really a ‘right’ answer. I don’t think there is a right one. I certainly wouldn’t know if there was.”

A2 nodded, and turned her gaze back down to her blade. She seemed... disappointed. Not angry, not confused, just disappointed. As though the answer he gave wasn’t one she was looking for. Then again, when you were presented with a member of the species that created you only to realize that they had no better answers on existence as their own species, you would probably be disappointed with any answer they gave you. Daniel certainly would be, in her situation.

“Mind if I ask a question?”

“Go ahead. It’s not like we’ll be going anywhere for a while. Need to wait for things to cool down with the Machines,” A2 replied, looking out the entrance to the cave. 

“It’s been almost twenty minutes, but the shadows haven’t moved at all. Is there a reason for that?”

The white-haired woman turned back to him, looking baffled. “Aren’t you from the moon? This is basic stuff you’re asking about.”

“Look, I just said I’m not from the moon like half an hour ago, and I’ve never been to space either. Just... assume that I’m fairly new to all of this, because I am.”

A2 gave an exasperated sigh as she slumped further against the cave wall than she had been before. Still, after a moment, she gave his question a proper answer. “Shadows don’t move because the earth doesn’t move. We’ve got one side of the planet in perpetual day, the other half in perpetual night, and a place along the middle that’s basically always in dawn or dusk. I heard old stories that the earth used to have stages of light and dark periods. Do... do you remember what that was like?”

.

..

…

“... there’s no day and night cycle?”

“Yeah. For the longest time, the world’s basically been... well, this. Perpetual daytime, on this side of the planet.”

“That... that should be physically impossible,” Daniel said. He didn’t know much about physics, but he did know that no plant life, no matter how adaptable, would be able to withstand consistent, unending heat from the sun. “If that’s true, then this side of the world should be on fire.”

“Hey, I don’t have much of a real answer. It’s always daytime, and we’re somehow not burning to ash. That’s all I need to know.”

Daniel wanted to go further, but gave in to the sense she had presented to him. He wouldn’t even begin to understand how or why the earth had stopped moving, or why this side of the planet wasn’t a complete wasteland. For the moment, he was just glad that the earth wasn't obeying certain laws that would make his continued existence both short and painful.

“Anyway, you said you... died or something? How does that work?” A2 asked, seeming both apprehensive and a bit confused. 

“I know it sounds crazy. It’s certainly not the best explanation, but... I did die, in a hospital. I’m guessing that White Chlorination Syndrome was the primary reason they left the planet; it  _ was _ a worldwide pandemic. I’m guessing that since humanity is on the moon, Project Gestalt must've worked.”

“... the fuck is Project Gestalt?”

That... wait, what? How did she not know about Project Gestalt? Sure, not a lot of people had been using it at first, which was honestly understandable, but the fact that humanity still existed at all meant that it somehow must’ve worked. 

“It’s... well, I got White Chlorination Syndrome about a month before it went public, but it was basically a process where they would remove human souls from their original bodies and put them into corresponding shells that were immune to the disease. At least, that’s the bare basics of it all. I can’t really think of a way to remove souls from bodies that makes sense without what would basically amount to miracle tech or some kind of magic.”

“... still doesn’t really answer my question.”

“Hey, I didn’t exactly have high-level clearance. I heard the news, but otherwise I was just one kid among millions who got sick and keeled over.”

“You keep saying you died, but your continued rambling begs to differ.”

“Trust me, I’m just as confused as you are. I thought I was in some afterlife for the first few minutes. Do they really not have records of Project Gestalt?”

“As far as I’m aware, the thing you’re talking about doesn’t exist.”

“That’s... that does not make sense.”

A2 merely shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly deep in the  YoRHa database. Maybe they have records, maybe they don’t. I never thought to look. When did you ‘die,’ anyway?”

“Well, the last actual date I can remember was sometime in July of 2023. So, I think I probably died sometime around there.”

…

“That was almost ten thousand years ago. How the hell do you just die and wake up  _ here _ ?”

“Hell if I know. If you want more actual information about me, I can give it to you. My name is Daniel Edwards, born August 13 th, 2003, about... nineteen years old, last time I checked. Caught White Chlorination Syndrome when I was sixteen, and was hospitalized for nearly four years until my inevitable demise as the world continued to fall apart. Need more? Because I can keep going if you want me to.”

“... I want to think that you’re lying. I really, really do. It would be so much easier to just think that you’re lying...”

“... but...?”

“But the fact that you said that without any reservations makes me think you’re telling the truth. Damnit. Like my life wasn’t hard enough already. Now I’ve got this to deal with.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not exactly alone in that sentiment. I mean, I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed by now, but I’m not exactly someone who’s been in a lot of fights, so Machines are  gonna be a problem if I can’t outrun them. I could probably do that now, but  it wouldn’t work forever.”

A2 gave a chuckle that actually seemed to be somewhat humorous. “I guess we’ll have to fix that.”

“Er... wait, did you just offer to teach me how to fight?”

“Yeah. I might not be a part of  YoRHa anymore, but I don’t want humanity to go extinct any more than they do. Plus, considering the fact that we don’t know how you’re down here in the first place, you’re probably  gonna be stuck down here for a good, long while. Might as well make sure you don’t die because you can’t fight.”

“... yeah, that makes sense.”

Learning how to fight probably wasn’t going to be pleasant. Necessary, certainly. That didn’t mean he was going to be looking forward to it. Daniel had never been in many fights. The ones he’d been in were less like fights and more like beatdowns, with him on the receiving of most of the injuries. Still, swordsmanship had been fascinating to him since he was a little kid, especially in many of the fantasy stories he’d read. He knew some basic principles of swordsmanship, but not much beyond that. 

But something she’d said had him somewhat confused. 

“Sorry for asking, but did you just say that you’re not part of this...  YoRHa , anymore?”

The way she visibly froze up, as though in discomfort, caused Daniel to immediately regret asking the question at all. It didn’t seem like her experiences with them had been particularly pleasant. It seemed as though they were protecting what vestiges of humanity were left on the moon. But if she didn’t want to destroy humanity, then why was she not part of them?

After almost a full minute of silence, A2 answered. “I won’t get into the details, but I... didn’t agree with some of the methods they were using in the name of ‘defending humanity.’ So, I defected. They’ve been hunting me ever since. I’m pretty sure they think I’m insane.”

That answer was a lie. Partially, at least. No one looked that uncomfortable talking about something unless they had been severely hurt by said thing. But Daniel also didn’t want to exacerbate the issue. Whatever this was, he wouldn’t risk making things worse. Would he have to ask her about it later? Maybe, if they stuck together for a while. But even then, maybe not. For now, he simply nodded, accepting her given answer. “Fair enough. I can’t exactly blame you for disagreeing with methods.”

She nodded, and that was the end of that. For the moment, at least.

“I’ll get something you can practice with tomorrow. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

With that, she stood, dusted off her hands, and, with her blade at her side, left the cave, leaving Daniel alone, confused, but safe. For the moment.

***

A2 was having a supremely hard time holding herself together. It was insane. It should’ve been impossible. She should’ve killed him right then and there; she shouldn't have even given him a chance to speak. But he’d seemed so lost. Confused. Terrified. God, the look on his face reminded her so much of Number 4. She’d been an Android, and so upbeat and bubbly that A2 couldn’t help but simply smile around her. Daniel wasn’t like that. He seemed only mildly optimistic at best, but he also seemed to... understand, on some level she couldn’t explain. He hadn’t pried into her past, even though he clearly could’ve; she had never been very good at lying. He shouldn’t have reminded her of Number 4 at all, but...

She shook her head, wild white hair waving behind her as she dashed her way through the treeline, breaking through foliage loudly, without a care for what heard her. She could kill anything got in her way. God, she hoped that something would get in her way, just to have something to fight, to feel the euphoria of combat, to distract herself from the reality that a human was down here and no one knew how or why, least of all the human himself.

As though summoned by her turmoil, a group of armored machines stepped into her path. With a wide, Cheshire grin on her face, A2 unsheathed her Type 40 blade and began her way through them. It was standard for this forest she’d been in, with smaller spearmen at the front and a commander riding some kind of beast with the head of a Machine behind them. The formation fell apart as she swung her sword, the vibrations it made cutting through weapons and bodies alike.

Their strangulated death sounds didn’t disturb her in the slightest. As soon as the first two were down, she moved to the next, parrying the spear of one Machine while catching the spearpoint of another with her heel. Then, in a display of raw strength and fighting capability, she used the momentum of the second attacker to slam their spear into the ground with her foot and launched herself into the air off of that same spear. Then, she landed behind them and darted directly forwards with a powerful burst, skewering her second attacker through the back and carrying the strike through to skewer the first on her blade as well.

Then, without even pausing for a breath, A2 twisted her blade and cut in a horizontal ring around herself, sheering through the bodies of the last four spearmen in a single attack. They clattered to the ground, leaking oil as their wiring and mechanisms spilled in a display of pure carnage. She noticed none of it, instead flipping her sword around and pointing at the commander, the last of the platoon to remain, taunting it with a smirk that was barely containing her manic satisfaction and pleasure.

It gave a hollow, artificial approximation of a guttural yell, and charged forward astride the beast, its spear pointed directly at her as it called out, “FOR THE FOREST KIIIIIIING!”

The charge was futile. Even as the commander closed in, the deadly point of its spear coming ever closer and closer, A2 knew that she had already won this fight. With a single upward stroke of her sword, she sliced through both beast and rider, its gathered momentum sending it flying behind her, crashing into a nearby rock. 

With a breath of satisfaction, she sheathed her sword, whipped her hair away from her face, and ran from the scene as though she had never broken stride. 

A2 didn’t travel very far outside of the forest, and when she did, she stayed away from the Resistance Camp. It was still where it had been before. They had taken casualties during the Pearl Harbor Descent four years ago, but some of the Androids from that team were still around. The same couldn’t be said for the rest of her squad. She didn’t resent the Resistance members for surviving. It would be hypocritical of her to do that. But the wish that her squad hadn’t died, that Number 4 hadn’t blown herself up in a kamikaze maneuver to kill those sadistic girls in red, that Number 16 and Number 21 had somehow survived without her... it still came up, sometimes, when she let her thoughts wander. It always came back to them. Especially to Number 4. 

But she shook herself from her reverie. She had a weapon to find. And, if her hunch was correct, she knew exactly where to find one. There had been a rather large battle between  YoRHa and at least four Goliath-Class Machines a few days ago. Everyone within a few kilometers had heard the echoes from that battle, even all the way out in the forest, which was about as far from where she was going as one could really get without going beyond what few places had been mapped out. A2 wasn’t stupid enough to travel to someplace she knew nothing about. Besides, YoRHa was still around here. And where  YoRHa went, she would follow.

Eventually, after making sure no one saw her, she hopped onto the destroyed road and made her way to the Abandoned Factory. It was just as massive as its distant silhouette had often suggested, made of metal and stone, clearly meant as a sort of forge or armory. A2 wound her way up the first set of  stairs before coming to see the factory’s proper entrance, it’s size almost like a solid wall of metal before her. There was a door with two light fixtures over the top of it within this wall, though only one of them was on, a steady blue glow that indicated that the door was active. It was the only way inside that she could see.

She turned from the door and looked at the now destroyed bridge, showing the most evidence of the battle that had taken place. Stone and metal had given way to a truly tremendous amount of force, breaking off for what looked like almost half a kilometer. She wasn’t surprised to see such devastation. Taking down even one of those massive Goliath-Class Machines would be a supremely difficult task for her. Difficult, but not impossible. Still, the explosion that had signaled the end of the battle here was so large she had seen it through the treeline of the forest. It had to be a Black Box Reaction. There were no other explosives that powerful and so readily available for use. Just the thought of it had sent her emotions into turmoil. 

Then, when she looked at the edge of the destroyed bridge, she saw something. A white sword, as large as a Type-40 greatsword, but slender, curved, and single-edged, in the style of an odachi. She didn’t know the weapon’s name, but she did know its owner. 2B, a battle-type Android that she had often seen with a scanner model, the one called 9S. She had killed them before. She’d thought it had been different versions of the same model coming after her, at first. But something familiar always seemed to remain with those two. They would always catch up to her, eventually. And she would, inevitably, slay the two who pursued her, as she had slain all the YoRHa Androids who had pursued her. It was almost routine, at this point. 

But, while it was a good sword, taking it would certainly cause more problems than she could handle right now. She needed to lay low; she’d done that for almost a year in order to get off of Pearl Harbor, but it had been a while, and she hadn’t really taken any steps to hide beyond jamming her own Black Box signal and covering her tracks the traditional way. That, and fulfilling her promise to train Daniel was going to require them to not be hounded day and night by Machines or  YoRHa troops out for her blood.

A2 knew that humans couldn’t download combat routines into their minds, which seemed honestly quite inconvenient, but she did have some knowledge of these ‘martial arts’ they had practiced. Not forms or techniques or anything like that, but some principles of practice and perfected habits. She thought it had been called ‘muscle memory,’ or something along those lines.

Still, she made her way through the factory, the place that had been, until recently, been producing Machines at an alarming pace. It was very quiet now. There were places where glowing, still-molten metal had been gathered for the obvious purpose of making Machine bodies. Those Machines had now been turned into corpses, and they littered the floor everywhere she went. It was eerie in a way that felt foreign. Like this was a place that should be bustling with life, things getting done, Androids interacting, and now it just... wasn’t. It was empty.

A2 shook it off as she made her way further in. Eventually, after several minutes of travel and careful checks to make sure no one was following her, she came to a large, cylindrical chamber that had half of the wall torn out of it. Probably torn out by the arm of a Goliath-class or something like that. Still, she hopped inside and looked around. The rest of the factory had been devoid of... well, everything. There weren’t any YoRHa corpses inside, let alone any weapons that Daniel could realistically use. Other than 2B’s  greatsword , which she was not going to touch.

Then, she saw a sword sticking up and out of the floor at the far end of the chamber, next to the body of a female Android. She wore the remains of a tattered black dress with open wounds all across her body, an interface blindfold still over her eyes, face framed by a wild mess of brown hair. A B-type combat model in a standard YoRHa uniform. And she was dead. 

A2 sighed as she pulled the blade from the floor, a dull metallic ringing coming from the sword as she did so. She sheathed it at her right hip, and prepared to leave. The sword was  YoRHa standard issue, not nearly as powerful, or as useful, as her own Type-40. The blade itself was grey, single-edged, and had a slight curve to it, with a simple black grip and no discernable guard. It was simple, light, and, while it did have the high-speed vibration function, it was much easier to manage overall. Probably the best thing for  teaching Daniel how to fight.

Just as she was about to make her way back out, however, she noticed something in the B-type's hand. A data recorder. More specifically, a device that recorded audio. A2 should just leave it. She’d already spent too much time outside the forest as it was; there was a very good reason she almost never left. It would be a liability! It could lead  YoRHa troops straight to her!

A2 kept telling herself that as she sat on the floor and plucked the audio recording from the combat model’s hand. It seemed that curiosity wasn’t limited to scanner models. Actually, that Machine commander she’d run into had been yelling something about a ‘forest king’ as some sort of battle cry. Was it some sort of supremely powerful Machine? Eh. Something to look into later.

Without much more thought, she took out the device, and let the recording play.

_ “Re-activation complete. _ _ A check of my body reveals various failures. Communication functions have been destroyed. I cannot contact my team or the bunker. I leave a draft of this message as a log.” _

Well, judging by the wounds, it seemed as though she had taken some pretty heavy hits. She still wondered why this recording was here at all. Maybe it had been a quirk of hers? Recording her notes as audio to play them back later? Still, A2 listened on, the two clicks indicating the stop and start of the recording process. 

_ “I verify the plan once more. Using my supposed destruction in this sortie as a guise, I sever all communication. I then pass beneath the abandoned factory and escape. Further analysis reveals that I took anti-air fire while in the flight unit, resulting in damage to my body. No matter-it can be repaired.” _

Well... that explained the leg. A2 was surprised that it was still attached at all if she’d taken anti-air fire. It wasn’t pleasant. She’d seen what it could do on more than one occasion. And this model, whoever she was, had been planning to escape. To get out of  YoRHa’s reach under the guise of being dead. A2’s situation, while initially unintentional, was actually pretty similar. She gazed at the body of this Android, and felt a pang of pity. She let the recording continue. __

_ “I’m cold. My sensory systems must be failing.” _

No. She’d been losing all of her vital fluids through her wounds. In human terms, she’d been bleeding out. Unfortunately, when it came to Androids, the process took much, much longer. __

_ “Noise has started to cloud my vision. Virus warnings appear frequently. It is unclear whether I am infected or if the system is in error.” _

As if what she’d been going through hadn’t been bad enough, she had somehow caught the Logic Virus. It wasn’t clear how, when, or why it had happened, but the fact remained: she had caught it. That, combined with the damage she’d already sustained, would most certainly ensure her demise. The recording went onward still. __

_ “Repairs are proceeding poorly, perhaps because I am flustered. Pursuers will come if I don't move soon. Was I wrong to attempt escape?” _

_ No. You weren’t wrong. You had every right to leave, damnit. _

A2 took a breath, and cleared her thoughts. No matter her personal feelings on Androids who went AWOL; they were so few that an Android like this was practically unheard of, the fact remained that it simply hadn’t worked out for her, despite her plan. __

_ “This can't continue. I can't stay here. I have to run...  _ _ YoRHa _ _ squadron was wrong... I have to find somewhere safer... I'm scared. I'm so scared.” _

This was getting hard to listen to. She was tempted to crush the audio device, run through the factory and cityscape, and find some unwitting Machines to fight to distract her from the knot of complicated emotions she could feel in her Black Box. But she didn’t. Whoever this Android was, though she did not know her name, did not know her reasons, and didn’t even know if they were remotely moral, she couldn’t just leave it like this. Whatever the reason, A2 was going to stick around until the end. __

_ “Painful. It hurts. Help. Why stop. Who am I? Wrong  _ _ wrong _ __ _ wrong _ _. I need to run...” _

And then, it was done. The recording cut out with a brief moment of static, and A2 sat here, alone, with the corpse of an Android who had once been alive. Who may have been able to understand why she’d gone AWOL in the first place. Damnit. Damn  it all.

A2 put the device back into the Android’s hand and closed her fingers around it delicately. “I’m sorry you weren’t able to survive. I think I’d have liked to meet you, at least once. You may have understood me, on some level. Rest well, sister. I promise... this will not be in vain.”

Then, she rose from the floor, turned from the body, and made her way back to the forest, leaving nothing but the quiet words of a desperate woman and the silence that had greeted her pleas.

***

Daniel managed to parry one of A2’s strikes before being put flat on his ass by an unseen tripping maneuver. It had been almost a week; what passed for one in consistent daytime, at least, since A2 had come back with that odd sword and started training him in the art of swordsmanship. So far, his progress was... slow. It was painful and she often used the threat of death from a different opponent as a motivator, but he was getting there. It was just much slower than either of them wanted. Just because Daniel suddenly had an athletic body did not mean he knew the first thing about actually fighting other than getting hit.

Then, as quickly as he’d been disoriented, A2’s futuristic sword was at his throat, vibration function off, but still sharp enough to draw blood, if needed. She quickly removed her blade and walked over to a nearby tree, stabbing the sword into the ground and sitting on one of the larger roots, legs crossed. Daniel breathed a sigh of exhausted relief. He pulled himself up from his position on the ground, walked over to the root, and sat a respectable distance away from A2. Not close enough to crowd her, but not far enough to make her notice. 

They hadn’t really spoken much since she had gotten back with the sword. She had begun training him as best she could- which, as far as Daniel could tell, consisted of trying to hit him while she occasionally called out instructions. It wasn’t a great way to teach. Then again, Daniel had never really learned any kind of martial art before. 

Then, she  blindsided him with what she said next.

“That was... adequate. For a beginner. You did manage to last longer than you have in previous bouts.”

“Erm... thank you?”

“However, this was just to judge your overall skill level at the outset. You have decent instincts. Listen to them. In a real fight, those will serve you far better than anything else, other than actual experience.”

That... was the first piece of practical advice he'd heard from her in almost the entire week they’d been sparring. It was jarring. It didn’t match up with the image he had of her in his head: a beautiful swordswoman who wouldn’t hesitate to kill entire groups of Machines by herself and somehow make it look as easy as breathing. 

“Anyway, how’s the sword? You getting used to it?”

Daniel nodded as he picked up the blade. “It’s surprisingly easy to use, once you get used to holding it the right way. I haven’t used one before, but it’s been a good experience. You know, when I’m not getting beaten into the ground.”

That got A2 to snicker, a smile flashing on her face as quickly as she wiped her face free of humor. “Well, that’s good. Because what happens next isn’t going to be pleasant for either of us. When we go back in for the next round, I’m going to teach you how to start hitting back. I’ll show you how a strike works, and you’ll repeat the movements until you feel comfortable with them. After we’ve ground that into you for a bit, we’ll spar until you either get too tired or you manage to land a hit on me. To make things a little easier for you, I won’t even hit back until I think you can handle it. Wash, rinse, repeat until you manage to actually get a hit in on me.”

“That... actually sounds like a decent plan.”

“You don’t have to lie to protect my feelings. I know there are better ways to teach you, but this probably the fastest way I know of to get you into fighting shape.”

Daniel just shrugged. He took solace in the last part of the break as he looked down at the sword in his hands. For some reason, this sword had been... oddly familiar, despite the fact that he’d never held anything like it before today. And those weird dreams he’d been having... it had been involved. He had been sparring with someone, teaching them how to block properly. It was honestly hilarious, since she was a defensive-type Android.

Those thoughts, those feelings... they hadn’t been his. There had been something there. And since he still didn’t know what brought him here... well, a lot of things seemed to be possible now. And he from those dreams, he also remembered a name.  _ Her _ name. The one who had wielded this blade before him. Daniel wasn’t sure why, but he knew that was true. Something deep in his heart told him that it was. So, as he thought of this, he asked an idle, but tense question of A2.

“Hey, A2?”

“Mm? Need some finer details on a form or something?”

“No, not that. Do you... do you know any Androids named 11B?”

“Haven’t run into any B-types that haven’t either wanted my head lopped off or my Black Box on their swords, so... no, I can’t really say I do. Why?”

“... it’s nothing,” Daniel answered. He hoped it was nothing. But somehow, deep down, somewhere he couldn’t quite describe, he knew that sentiment wasn’t true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! So, getting the obvious questions out of the way: yes, that section with A2 was from the 11B's Memento Side Quest. I always thought it would be interesting to see how A2 would react to knowing that there were other defectors from YoRHa, though they do seem to be pretty rare. Secondly, yes, the dreams Daniel mentioned will be significantly important later down the line. For now, they're just odd dreams.
> 
> The next one should be up before too long, so look forward to that! See you guys next time!


	3. First Kill and First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel kills his first Machine, A2 needs some repairs, and some important players make their entrances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, everyone! So... yeah, this chapter is a lot longer than the last two were. I guess it's because I had so many ideas for this chapter in particular, as this was the one where stuff really starts to get introduced, but Chapter 4 is probably going to be shorter than this. It won't annoyingly short, but I don't think it'll be quite so monstrously long. Although I might overdo it once I actually start writing, so, don't hold me to that. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

Almost two weeks had passed since A2 had started training Daniel in proper swordplay. It might have been a little longer, he wasn’t entirely sure how to tell the date anymore. He was starting to get a bit of a scruff, though. Daniel had been honestly debating using his sword to shave it off, but that felt... wrong. This was a weapon. It was meant for fighting, for killing Machines. It would be disrespectful to such a tool, using it for something so... mundane. 

That and he didn’t feel like risking cutting his neck open with a very, very sharp sword. 

Right now, they were going to be putting her training to the test in a real-world scenario. Below them was a smaller Machine that had wandered into the forest from the city ruins, where the abandoned shopping center currently stood. They were standing on one of the many overgrown roots that lead into the space; high enough to not be seen, but low enough that Daniel wouldn’t break his legs by dropping down. The plan was a simple one: get the attention of this lone Machine, and kill it within a short timeframe. If things got too dangerous, A2 would swoop in and help him not die. 

Daniel glanced back at A2, who was standing on the root in her heeled shoes with only a slight degree of tension in her frame. She was fairly confident in the skills she’d been imparting to him, but she was still nervous. Daniel felt it too, if a bit more strongly. He knew what to do, and the plan was a solid one, but there was always the possibility that he could mess up. 

He took a breath, steadying his nerves. “Alright. Let’s get this over with. You good to spot me?” 

A2 nodded, a hand on her futuristic sword, which Daniel now knew was called a Type 40 blade. Without any more of a chance to doubt himself, he leapt down from the large root, landed with a roll, and unsheathed his plain blade, his index finger just touching the small trigger built into the hilt, exerting no pressure. He approached the Machine cautiously, with a great deal of care in every step. It hadn’t seemed to hear him when he landed, just clunking around as though nothing was out of the ordinary. It swiveled towards him at a normal speed, and had him in its sights, glowing eyes training on him for a solid second... 

… 

… then, it swiveled further around, turned its feet, and started idly walking away from him. 

“... I thought you said Machines attacked anything that moves on sight?” Daniel called up to A2, legitimately confused as to this inconsistency. 

“They do! This is probably just a glitch.” 

“You say that, but it had the perfect opportunity to come right for me, and it didn’t. Logic-” 

“Would dictate that it’s probably a glitch. We’ve been over this,” A2 said, her grip on her sword tightening ever so slightly. She seemed uncertain, and off-balance. Daniel was too. He hadn’t seen many Machines, but he did know that the ones in the forest attacked all outsiders, including him and A2. They seemed to be some odd rendition of a kingdom, with soldiers and knights and warriors at arms. It was bizarre, and a clear sign of some sort of intelligence beyond being made to fight. Well, it would be if the ones he saw in the forest weren’t constantly proving A2’s point about ‘finding better ways to fight and kill’ by immediately charging at everything they saw. 

Even so, it felt wrong. The Machine wasn’t fighting. Just... walking around. Daniel could freely admit, that in and of itself was kinda creepy. He had seen A2 fight Machines that looked just like this, except they wore armor and used spears. This was like going from an enemy soldier to a recruit who didn’t even know where the hell they were. 

“I don’t know. It just passed me over again,” Daniel said, lowering his blade a bit. He still had it out and ready to strike; he wasn’t an idiot. He’d seen how combat-capable they could be. 

“And next time, it might not give you a chance to think about options. Look, just...” she gave a tired, exasperated sigh. “D, you know how this is gonna go. Either you’ll kill it, or I will. We can try again later, if you don’t feel ready.” 

That sent a flash of guilt through him. It was no fault of A2’s, she’d done most of the Machine killing without complaint, and was extremely pragmatic about his more fragile body being in harm's way. That didn’t stop the fact that he felt useless, letting someone else do all of the fighting for him. Hell, she’d killed the boar that he’d been eating for a while. He’d needed to roast what seemed edible before it began rotting; he wasn’t exactly used to gutting animals, but the meat that was left would still last him at least another week. He felt like he should be doing more. And this was, technically, a way for him to help, even if it was only a little bit. 

So, he raised his sword, gripping it tightly with both hands as he stepped closer to the Machine. Daniel’s reservations remained. He had seen what it was capable of, what it could do, how deadly it could be. But as it walked in another slow circle around the empty shopping mall, it was still felt like asking the Baby Hitler question. No matter how justified or well-deserved such an action would be in the long term, in the heat of the moment, you would still effectively be killing a defenseless baby. 

Then, the Machine looked at him for a third time. This time, the gaze didn’t move, instead focusing on him as though it were processing something. It was like that for a long moment: Daniel in a combat stance with both hands on his sword while the Machine stared at him blankly, seemingly clueless. 

Before the Machine’s eyes had a chance to flash red, Daniel swung his sword downwards, squeezing the trigger, the high-speed vibrations helping him to cut through the metal as though it were made of paper. A long moment passed before Daniel stepped back, sword still raised, waiting for something to happen. Shortly thereafter, there was a brief spark, and an internal explosion tore it apart along the cut that Daniel had made. The two halves fell to the ground with the clatter of hollow metal, spilling wiring and internal mechanisms like intestines, oil pooling around it like blood. If this had been a human, the sight would’ve been, frankly, horrifying. As it was, it was only mildly disturbing, which Daniel was thankful for. 

A2 jumped down from her perch and landed lightly on the ground, walking over to him as she observed his handiwork. “Good strike. One’s usually enough to kill this type, if you know where to hit ‘em. Just... don’t hesitate next time, alright? The next Machine you’ll face probably won’t be polite enough to stand around while you prepare yourself.” 

Daniel nodded. There was no doubt in A2’s voice, and he couldn’t blame the sentiment. Everywhere they went, there were Machines. In the forest? Machines. Off the beaten path? Machines. At the edge of an old shopping mall that was mostly supported by the structure of massive tree roots? Machines. They were everywhere, and most of them wanted to kill anything they could find. There were a few who seemed idle, almost passive, like the one he’d split in half had been. 

Daniel felt like he was missing something. If these Machines were supposedly linked up via network, as A2 claimed, then how were deviations like idle wandering and passive ignorance even a possibility? Maybe an error of some kind, but something in their network would probably have noticed by now. It made his head hurt, thinking about all of the complicated ways this could be possible. 

“Back to camp, then?” Daniel asked. 

A2 nodded. “I don’t think they’ll be able to find our spot this time, so we should have a decent place for a while.” 

As she started walking forward, something in her abdomen seemed to suddenly be causing her an inordinate amount of pain, making her briefly double over, barely managing to catch herself with the Type 40 blade. Daniel was at her side almost immediately, taking her weight off of her blade before she fell to the floor, shifting it to his shoulder. 

“Fucking shit... sorry, D,” A2 said, an apologetic smirk on her face. “Guess one of those fuckers from earlier got me better than I thought they would.” 

“How bad?” Daniel asked. A2’s sword was still in her hand, and his was now sheathed at his left hip, so they didn’t leave anything behind as they went back into the forest. 

“It’s sore, but it shouldn’t be too bad. I was literally made to take hits like that. I’ll be off your shoulder in a minute or so.” 

Eventually, with a few more worried looks from Daniel and some assurances from A2, they got back to their campsite and spent the rest of the day in relative calm. Daniel was keeping an eye on her. He knew that she would probably be fine. She was a combat model; she _was_ built to take hits like that. Which made him worry all the more about any residual pain she would be feeling from said hits. He didn’t say anything, nor did he annoy her with ideas of bed rest or medicine; those would probably be useless outside of routine inactivity. But he did worry all the same. 

*** 

Three days after Daniel’s first Machine kill, A2 walked back into camp with Machine oil on her sword. She usually patrolled the perimeter of their camps every few hours, just to make sure that no Machines were coming towards their position. She typically did these whenever he woke up, just to make sure that he was alright and checking in to make sure that he could defend himself while she was gone. 

“How many did you run into this time?” Daniel said, biting a piece of lightly salted boar off a makeshift kabob. He was glad that he’d managed to find that salt deposit at their last campsite, it made preserving and eating the meat a lot easier. 

“About seven, plus a commander. Their forces are getting pretty thin. I used to hear something about an entire army out here, but I guess I’ve either killed so many of them it’s not even an army anymore, or they overexaggerated their own might. Still probably the most advanced machines I’ve ever seen.” A2 answered as she walked over to his side of the small fire, popping a bite of the boar kabobs. She liked to do that, sometimes. He wasn’t sure why. 

“Well, considering the fact that they seem to be adhering to medieval customs of knighthood and honor, it might not be an exaggeration. Maybe there’s a castle somewhere in these woods?” 

She shrugged. “I dunno. I keep hearing something about a Forest King, but nothing about where he might be or how strong he is or why all of these Machines are following him. What is knighthood, anyway?” 

“... how much of human culture do you actually know about? This was, like, a major thing for a long time.” 

“It was a big thing for you humans several thousand years ago. I know that you guys created us, and that we’re supposed to fight the Machines. That’s really about it.” 

“Huh. Well, your viewpoint is pragmatic as fuck, but I can’t say I disagree. Hell, even in my time the general consensus knighthood was that it was a ‘novel relic of the past.’ I was never that into knights anyway, so I don’t know that much about them. I know some stuff about European societies, but I know more about fake worlds than I do about my own.” 

A2 chuckled at that. “You ever going to tell me one of those stories you keep referencing?” 

… 

“Who are you and what have you done with A2?” 

“No, no, I’m legitimately curious. You’ve been mentioning stuff about Metals and Oaths and a... Reborn Dragon? I think? You’ve been making references to that stuff around camp every now and then, and it’s kinda getting to me. I’m especially interested in that last one.” 

“Well... it’s not like I can retell these stories off the top of my head. I’d need paper and ink so that I don’t lose my place and that I’m remembering everything correctly and... well, they’re not true stories. You sure you’re interested in that?” 

“I’m... politely intrigued,” A2 said, rising from her seated position, unsheathing her blade in the process. “Anyway, it’s about time to begin training again. I’ll actually start hitting back this time, but I won’t be that intense-” 

Suddenly, A2 let out a muffled groan of shock, clutching at her stomach in apparent pain. Daniel was at her side almost immediately, helping her over to her log, which was more the husk of a fallen tree that she usually sat against to rest, and placed her next to it, her arm across her stomach as he sat next to her. “Okay, this isn’t just an ‘it’s sore’ situation anymore. What’s wrong?” 

A2 looked at him for a long moment before letting out a long, tired sigh. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was built to take hits like that. Maybe not as much as D-types, but I’m pretty damn tough. Even so... I’ve got my limits. I haven’t actually had proper repairs since I was deployed down to earth. I’ve kept myself together with spare parts, and I usually had access to plenty of water, but it’s... bad. Some of my mobility circuits were damaged when I cleared out that ‘mall’ place a few days ago. It’s not that bad right now, but a patch job isn’t going to work this time. Eventually, I’ll start to lose the use of certain parts of my body until I can’t move. In ideal conditions, the decay would take years. As it stands, I probably have a few weeks before that happens. It also happens to be extremely painful, so there's also that.” 

“... that’s not all, is it?” Daniel asked, certainty in his tone. 

A2 gave a brief snort. “I’ve known you for less than a month, and you can read me that well? Jeez, I’ve been slipping.” 

Still, the moment of humor left quickly, her face turning somber. “My fuel filter hasn’t been replaced in a long, long time. It’s not bad now, but stuff’s starting to build up. I can probably keep going for almost a year before it gives out.” 

“Is that in ideal conditions?” 

A long moment passed before she nodded in response. “If I stay in places like the city and the forest exclusively, I’ll probably last most of the year, if I account for the fact that I’m gonna be fighting _a lot_ of Machines. If I go to the desert or the flooded section of the city-” 

“I’m sorry, what? There’s a desert around here?” 

“Yeah. It’s a couple of kilometers to the south of the forest. Why?” 

“That... how are there so many different regions area-locked around this one city?” 

“Hell if I know. Anyway, those climates can get pretty extreme. The flooded part of the city gets pretty rough during storms, but I don’t really go there anyway. The desert... I’d probably last a few days, but not much longer than that. Especially with the frequency that the place gets hit by sandstorms. It’d just go right through to my filter. But... well, if my fuel filter gets clogged, that means I’ll start losing basic functionality. I probably won’t even be able to think straight, let alone move.” 

“If it’s this bad, why the hell didn’t you let me know?” 

“It was my problem. I was going to deal with it eventually. You don’t need to worry about this-” 

“Okay, don’t you dare start with this tough act. Please. Look, you’ve been training me for a while now, so maybe I can do... I dunno, _something_ to help with this. I owe you at least this much, and a lot more.” 

“D, we’ve been over this. You’re not ready for a full-on fight against a group.” 

“And I probably never will be. Look, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re _a lot_ stronger than me. A lot stronger than most humans, to be honest. I don’t know if I’ll ever be that strong, but I can at least defend myself if it’s one on one. So please, tell me how I can help. I’m not going to watch you die when I can do something about it.” 

A2 was silent for several moments. Daniel could see the gears working in her head, debating how she could possibly play this off in order to keep him out of danger. But, eventually, she gave a reluctant sigh, as though she knew he’d probably do something relatively stupid to keep her alive. “I would need replacement parts. I don’t know the nitty-gritty of technical repair, but if I can get replacements for what’s been damaged, then I’m set. Problem is, the only parts that would even be close to mine would be from other YoRHa units, specifically combat models, and you’re definitely not prepared to take on one of them. You could get some parts off of Android corpses, but I doubt their circuitry would be in decent shape. That’s all I’ve got right now.” 

Well... shit. Daniel had seen A2 fight. It wasn’t just that she loved it, she had quite literally been made to fight, and looked damn good while doing it. If she said that he couldn’t take down a YoRHa unit, then Daniel couldn’t take down a YoRHa unit. Besides, why would he want to take down soldiers of an organization that was ostensibly protecting his species? … maybe if things got bad enough. He wouldn’t attack them first. Not unless they came after him or A2. Searching their corpses... Daniel wasn’t entirely sure how to start with that. He had no idea where the filter would be anatomically, though it did seem to function as the Android equivalent of a liver. That was still no reason to assume that it would be in a similar place. Even then, the thought of taking what was basically a still-functional organ from a dead body didn’t exactly make him feel great. Still, it was the most feasible option they had. 

Then, he remembered a group that A2 had mentioned, simply known as ‘The Resistance.’ She mentioned that they were the most organized and well-supplied group of Androids around other than YoRHa, and that they had initially been sent down here by YoRHa themselves, but other than that, she avoided the topic completely. 

Unfortunately, and with some degree of apology on his face, Daniel asked, “What about the Resistance? Would they have the parts you need?” 

. 

.. 

… 

“... yes,” she answered. “But you can’t go there.” 

“Why not? They don’t know my face. They don’t even know I exist. I could go there and ask if they have the parts and-” 

“Daniel. Please. I don’t... I can’t go there. Not... I...” 

“... I’m not asking you to come with me. I’m not going to ask you to do anything you don’t want to do. But this might be our most surefire option to get you the parts you need. I can go in there and pretend I’m an Android that went through a memory wipe. Maybe I could do an odd job in exchange for the parts we need.” 

“That... has got to be one of the stupidest things that I’ve ever heard you say,” A2 said, her pain fully fading as she sat up on her own. “There are a lot of holes in that plan, and an amnesia blanket-story isn’t going to work forever. They’ll probably catch on. If not immediately, then eventually. Not to mention the fact that they’ll probably want to establish some kind of contact with you once everything’s said and done.” 

“If that’s what it’ll take to help you, then I can do that. You don’t have to come with me. I’ll be the gofer. It’ll be more comfortable for you, and give us access to stuff we might need. That sound good?” 

She thought it over for several long moments. Judging by the way she avoided the topic, A2 clearly had some kind of history with them. It was one of the many mysteries about her that Daniel noticed, but didn’t ask about, even when he probably should’ve. She’d seemed uncomfortable talking about them at all. But, though his plan involved an undeniable amount of risk, it was probably the most surefire way of getting the parts A2 would need. 

With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. “You’ll have to stay in regular contact with them afterwards to make sure you don’t come off as suspicious. Otherwise... just be careful, okay? And avoid large groups of Machines; they’ll try to kill you on sight.” 

“I know, I know,” Daniel replied. “But that’s for tomorrow. Today? I’m just gonna eat some boar. Then we could... practice a bit?” 

“You hoping my recent damage will give you an edge?” 

“... maybe a little.” 

A2 barked out a mirth-filled laugh at that. “Even if I could barely move and had to hold a sword in my teeth, you wouldn’t be able to put a scratch on me. Now eat up! Today’s training is gonna be fun.” 

*** 

The next day, Daniel took his first steps outside of the forest. The abandoned shopping mall had been at the edge of it, and he had briefly seen what lay on the outside, though he had been preoccupied with killing his first Machine. The entrance led out to a rocky path, covered over with moss and grass, with a rope bridge connecting the two sides of a gorge. A very long, somewhat narrow rope bridge. 

_C’mon, Daniel! Now is not the time to give in to your fear of heights! Now get on that bridge and get across!_

So, with a firm grip and a shaky gait, Daniel stepped onto the bridge. It took him almost a minute to actually cross the thing, with a stop to take a breath in the middle, but he eventually got across with only minor discomfort. Despite the fact that he had faced down his own potential death less than a month ago, and a few other bizarre things that had happened since then, Daniel was still terrified of heights. It felt strange, having such a normal fear in the face of... well, all of this insanity. But it was what it was. 

Now that he was on the other side of the bridge, he could make his way towards the camp. The city he walked through was ancient, obviously some kind of a major hub of trade and business, if the height of all of the buildings was anything to go by. There seemed to be sections of raised roads and highways every now and then, further suggesting his assumption of a business hub. Interesting though the overgrown architecture was, Daniel couldn’t enjoy looking at it because of one thing in particular: Machines. They were everywhere. Most of them seemed to just be idle, but Daniel took A2’s warnings seriously. Just because they seemed harmless didn’t mean they wouldn’t attack him if they saw him. So, he stayed out of the way by sticking to the edges of the buildings as he made his way towards the Resistance Camp. 

After about ten minutes of this, he was finally there. The entrance was narrow, walled off by two makeshift defensive positions that looked like they’d been welded together from spare fence parts, barbed wire, and sheet metal. For what it was, it was decently made, and ensured that there was only one place the Machines could enter from. Still, Daniel was nervous. He had never been very good at speaking to people. It was different with A2. Something about her just made it... easier. He wasn’t sure how to explain it. His heart was beating faster in his nervousness. What if he screwed up? What if they saw through his lie and captured him under the assumption that he’d been reprogrammed? What if they found out he was human? 

These questions pressed on him until he took a deep breath. His heartbeat slowed, and his anxiety began to die down until he could think more clearly. Even though there was a possibility that this could go wrong, he was still going to do it. He’d said it himself: this was the most surefire way to get A2 the parts she needed to survive. So, with another breath, and his jaw clenched, Daniel made his way inside the Resistance Camp. 

It wasn’t a large place, nestled between the husks of empty buildings, but it was certainly well supplied and well kept, for what it was. The first thing he saw after entering was what seemed to be an infirmary, with a tarp overhead and several cots held within, a woman with rough clothes and short, salmon-tinged hair standing near it. Probably a medic of some kind. Or whatever the equivalent was for Androids. Maybe a repair technician? 

Further into the camp, there were a few other shops, one with a man with goggles on his head who was tinkering with some gadget or another, and another man with dark skin, a short beard, and several weapons behind him. In the center of the camp, there was an oddity: a patch of soil, with grass and several white flowers growing from it. It was such a stark contrast that it drew most of Daniel’s attention for almost a minute. How was there soil here? He wasn’t surprised that it was here at all, a lot of the city was being overgrown by plants and foliage, and extremely large trees seemed to be the norm around here, but why was this patch of flowers in the middle of the camp? And why was it the only patch of greenery in the entire place? 

Daniel decided not to dwell on it as he walked up to the woman in front of the infirmary. Noticing him immediately, a smile spread across her sun-kissed face. “Hey there! You need anything?” 

“Erm... y-yeah," Daniel replied, cursing his nervousness as he stumbled through his words. “I need some... uh... replacement mobility circuits a-and a spare fuel filter.” 

The woman nodded without hesitation. “That sounds reasonable. Just got fresh stock on the filters, and I’ve had spare circuits for a while now. I can give ‘em to you for about... let’s call it four thousand G for the circuits and six thousand G for the filter.” 

“... uh... four thousand... what?” 

The woman then looked at him with confusion. “Y’know. G. It’s what we use for trade around here. I assume you’re from another city; I haven’t seen you around before.” 

She said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. While Daniel had accomplished the first part of his plan, which was making sure that they had any of the parts A2 needed, the next part, actually getting those parts, proved to be something of a challenge. He knew the Resistance would operate on some form of currency; no successful organization was ever fully free of transaction. Her assumptions about him being from outside this city would help in this next part, but he’d have to play it off carefully. The fact that he also had to grapple with his flaring anxiety certainly didn’t help. 

“W-well, you see... I kinda woke up from a memory wipe a few weeks back. I just started walking in one direction until I ended up somewhere around here. I-I met Ace the same day I woke up, and she recently got damaged pretty bad in a fight. Her circuits will probably last a few more weeks, but t-the damage combined with the condition of her fuel filter is eventually gonna cripple her.” 

The woman’s face turned sympathetic before going into an analytical state, her brow creasing as she thought on what he’d said to her. After a few long moments of silence, she gave a tired sigh. “Look, kid, I sympathize with what’s going on, I really do. But I can’t just give this stuff away. As shitty as it makes me feel, this stuff costs what it costs. I’m sorry. 

“But... I do know that Anemone’s looking for somebody to do an odd job for her. It should be worth more than enough to buy you the parts you need for your friend. Tell her Aster sent you, alright? I’ll have the parts ready once you get back.” 

Daniel gave a nod. “Thank you! Er... where’s she at, by the way?” 

“She’s over that way, in the command tent. Good luck.” 

Daniel thanked her again and walked towards the place she indicated. The ‘command tent’ was less a tent and more a space with various things scattered about on a wide table, most relating to organization and planning, with a large blue tarp hanging above it. The woman who stood at the front of the table was dressed in the same style as the rest of the resistance members: rough, weather-beaten clothing, consisting of grey pants, black combat boots, a beige, long-sleeved shirt, with kneepads, a holster strapped to her right thigh, black leather gloves, and a large, military green cloak that trailed to her feet embroidered with gold at the edges, with the interior being a dark, midnight blue. The woman herself was tall, and from the way she stood, she seemed like she knew damn well how to fight. It was a bit similar to how he saw A2 hold herself. Her skin was dark, with raven black hair and blue eyes that were now fixed on him. 

“Y-you’re Anemone?” he asked. 

The woman nodded. “Guessing you’re new to the city. What’s your name?” 

“Clover, ma’am.” Daniel tried not to sweat as he accidentally gave a fake name. Honestly, it hadn’t been part of the plan at all. He’d planned on using his actual name for this, but the flowers in the center of the camp had gotten him thinking about plants, and so had Aster and Anemone’s names, and it sorta just... slipped out. The only reason he’d given a fake name for A2 was that she didn’t want the Resistance to know about her. Still, he’d dug this grave, and now he had to lay in it. 

She chuckled at his nervousness. “Relax. Aster sent you over to me? Heard I needed some help?” 

“Yeah. T-though I’m not really sure what you need me to do.” 

“Hmm... I’m gonna have to ask this before you do anything. How comfortable are you around Machines?” 

“Er... well, I can’t say I’m fond of them. A lot of Machines have tried to kill me in the past month. But I’ve also seen a lot of Machines just being... idle. Like they’re just staring off into space. It’s a bit off-putting, but I can’t say it seems unusual. Ace says it is, but it seems too prevalent over here to not be a pattern.” 

“... huh. You’re pretty sharp, for someone with a memory wipe. Yeah, most Machines are pretty hostile, but some have found a way to either disobey their programming or disconnect themselves from the network. Anyway, I do need a delivery done. The recipient is one of those Machines that disconnected from the network, called Pascal.” 

“You’re trading with Machines?” Daniel’s question wasn’t hostile, but it did genuinely baffle him that Androids would trade with the ones who were, technically, their enemies. 

“I know, I know. Not a lot of Androids would approve of what we’re doing. YoRHa certainly wouldn’t. But we don’t have much of a choice in who we can count among our allies down here. And Pascal’s village is harmless, plus they can make more complex parts and circuitry that we can’t. They literally wouldn’t hurt a fly.” 

“Pacifist Machines. That... sounds too good to be true.” 

“Hey, don’t knock it till you talk to ‘em. Pascal’s got a... unique perspective on philosophy.” 

“... well, there’s always an exception to the rule.” 

“That’s the way we generally justify it,” Anemone answered as she dug through a chest, pulling out a small box before turning back to Daniel. “Anyway, you’re gonna be delivering these parts to them. Pascal should be ready to pay for this in parts that we need, so just find him and he’ll take care of the rest.” 

“Okay,” Daniel said, accepting the package. “But how am I going to tell him apart? Most Machines look pretty similar to one another.” 

“Trust me, he’s a fairly distinct guy. And a wonderful conversationalist. Now get going!” 

*** 

It took Daniel a while to find where the Machine Village was. Anemone had said it was to the right of the bridge that led to the forest, beyond the barricade made of bent metal beams, but he hadn’t expected it to be little more than a few hundred feet away from it. There was a metal blockade in the front of the actual path, with a large metal box in front of the only gap in the metal. Well, the only one that would be reasonable to move through. There was a gap in the beams that Daniel managed to squeeze his way through, if with some discomfort. It certainly wasn’t meant to be crossed through, but it would hold back most machines, assuming there weren’t any quite as flexible as a human. Or small enough to get through here. Well, the smallest ones he’d seen didn’t seem to be the most flexible, or mobile, so against Machines, the barricade actually wasn’t bad. 

The barricaded path eventually led back into a different section of the forest that he hadn’t been to, with trees forming a natural road that led further in. The foliage was so thick that the sun became hard to see, the sky turning from lightly overcast to heavily overcast. Was it going to rain soon? He couldn’t smell any precipitation in the air, so maybe it was just clouds? Either way, he was glad of a reprieve from the sun’s consistently beating heat. 

After a short time on the path, he came to a small metal bridge, which connected to a metal platform, and on and on and on it went, until he was looking as a veritably constructed _village_ of metal, made in tiers. In the lowest area, a collection of smaller Machines played together in a variation of what looked like tag. Other Machines roamed about the upper two tiers with houses and shops and a sense of community emanating from it all. They seemed strangely... jovial. Happy. Peaceful. Daniel was a bit startled by the lumbering giant that stayed towards the edge of where the smaller Machines were playing; one of those things had tried to kill him immediately after seeing him, after all, but it simply seemed to be observing the younger ones as they played.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Daniel made his way further into the village, with the box of parts in one hand and the other on the hilt of his sword. Peaceful though these Machines seemed to be, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. The bad experiences hadn’t been very numerous, but they had left their mark all the same. So, with hesitant steps, and his eyes on the floor, he made his way through the villagers, hoping that he would know Pascal when he saw him. He ascended to the second tier of the village and saw a small metal hut immediately to his left. There were smaller Machines there, gathered around one mid-sized Machine. And, almost immediately, Anemone was proven right. Pascal was quite distinct among Machines. 

He had a cylindrical head, green eyes that glowed with fluorescent light, a long torso, and three fingers on each of his hands. He was colored a warm shade of brown that reminded him of soil, and there were temperature dials on his shoulders and torso, suggesting that he may have once been part of a factory of some kind. 

Pascal quickly noticed him, his glowing eyes blinking in response. Then, he spoke, his voice surprisingly feminine. “Okay children, Pascal needs to take care of some business now.” 

The ‘children’ that gathered around him voiced their objections immediately. “B-but uncle Pascal, it’s not supper time yet!” 

“We want to hear more stories!” 

“Yeah! We want to hear about the dragon and the giant!” 

That caught Daniel’s attention. He had heard a few stories about a dragon, its rider, and a giant that fell from the sky. Only, he had known about it because it had actually happened. The giant, the dragon, and the rider had all landed in Tokyo during the year of his birth, back in 2003. It was an international incident. Within a week, everyone knew what had happened, despite Japan’s best efforts to keep that information to themselves. The internet could be quite tricky like that. It was also where the first White Chlorination Syndrome had first appeared, somewhere within Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, though it used to be much rarer, and the two phenomena were often correlated. A lot of things had happened the day that the dragon and the giant had fallen from the sky, and very few of them, if any, had been good.

The fact that the story had survived, and that it was common enough knowledge for Machine children to learn about as a bedtime story, made him wonder just how much the story had changed. Ten thousand years left plenty of room for embellishments and changes.

Pascal chuckled at the children’s requests, though with a good deal of lighthearted humor in his soft voice. “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long. You can go ahead and play while you wait. Does that sound alright?” 

“Okay!” 

“Of course, uncle Pascal!” 

The elder Machine nodded to his charges as they scampered away to play before turning to Daniel. Pascal was, by all accounts, taller than Daniel, if not by very much. Still, as the Machine turned to him, he couldn’t help but flinch. He breathed, fought down his anxiety, and examined the facts: these Machines, by both secondhand and firsthand accounts, were genuinely peaceful. He had parts that Pascal needed, and he had parts that the Resistance couldn’t make themselves, so they were going to trade. And he’d agreed to this. Perhaps he hadn’t had a full picture, but enough of one to know what he was getting into. 

So, with the cold rush of rationality through him, and a warm smile on his face that was halfway genuine, Daniel approached the now unoccupied Machine. “Those kids like you a lot.” 

“Yes. While I was somewhat nervous about how well I would be able to handle children, I am pleased to say that I have actually been able to teach them quite well. Although, I did have to change my voice. My old one was not conducive to reassuring and teaching them.” 

“I get that. Kids are... chaotic,” Daniel said, remembering his younger brother, Liam, from when the boy had been quite young. The memory was still relatively fresh in his mind; it was from just a few months before he’d caught White Chlorination Syndrome, but he remembered how his younger brother had been fascinated by everything in sight, when he giggled at the simplest little things. He’d been a handful, but damn if he didn’t light up a room. A sad pang came from within his heart, knowing, given all of the time that had passed, that Liam had grown, lived, and died, and he had been unable to be a part of any of it. But that grief, as always, was for another time. He had more important things to worry about. 

“I’ll also admit to being curious. What’s this story about a dragon and a giant?” He was genuinely curious about it, and he wasn’t sure he would be through here again anytime soon. Pascal probably wouldn’t tell him, but it wouldn't hurt to ask anyway. 

Pascal chuckled. “Perhaps I can tell you if you come through here again. For now, we have business to attend to.” 

“I suppose we do.” Daniel held the box out in front of him. “Anemone sends her regards and her well-wishes with these parts. I take it you needed them pretty badly?” 

“Oh, yes! Thank you for bringing them to me!” Pascal gently took the box from Daniel’s hand, quickly heading into his hut and putting it away. “Now we should be able to repair her body!” 

“’Her?’ Were one of you damaged?” 

“Unfortunately. It was an accident, and no one is truly to blame, but a child slipped off of the elevated play space and damaged herself in the fall. It would have been manageable for a time, but I am happy that it’s been resolved. Now, she can be made well again. Thank you, truly.” 

Pascal emerged from the hut carrying another small box, though this one seemed bulkier than the one that Anemone had given to him, and handed it to Daniel. It felt comfortably heavy with parts, and he tucked it into one of the larger pockets of his jacket. 

“You’re welcome. And thank you for helping me out, too.” 

“Hm? How have I helped you? As I see it, it is you who has helped us,” Pascal replied earnestly. 

Daniel chuckled at that. “I’m just the gofer, we both know that. I’m not really getting paid for this job the traditional way. Well, I suppose I technically am, but I’m immediately turning my money in for parts.” 

“You don’t look to be in disrepair to me.” 

“I know. It’s not for me. It’s for my friend, Ace.” Strangely, it didn’t feel wrong to call A2 that, even if he was using her fake name. She was, truly, the closest thing that Daniel had to a friend within a hundred miles. Anemone, Aster, and even Pascal, nice though he was, were just acquaintances. “She’s been giving me a lot more help than I deserve. She got hit pretty bad during one fight, and she needs the parts I’m getting pretty bad. I haven’t been able to do a whole lot for her. I can’t exactly fight very well, and I’m no scout either. But I can do this. She’s... not the best at talking to people she isn’t familiar with. She’s had some pretty rough experiences with other Androids as it is. And her experience with Machines has been... worse.” 

Pascal gave a head tilt that somehow gave Daniel the impression of a smile. “I understand. Not all of our kind are like us, but I understand the hostility that faces us. It won’t disappear overnight, but I know we’ll be able to overcome it someday. Even so, I hope you’ll send her my regards and well-wishes. And I hope to see you through here again... actually, what is your name? If you don’t mind me asking.” 

For a moment, Daniel debated giving Pascal his real name. He had been nothing but kind thus far, and had sent his hopes to A2, someone who, given the chance, would probably kill him without a second thought. He still didn’t know why she had such a personal vendetta against Machines, but she’d certainly been traumatized. He wanted to give him that courtesy. But, he knew, logically, that his stories had to match up with one another, down to every detail he could remember. 

So, with a heavy heart hidden behind a warm smile, he lied. “I’m Clover.” 

“Oh! Like the plant?” 

“Not really. I do think clovers are rather nice, but Ace gave me that name by happenstance.” 

“Ah. I see. It’s just that all of the Resistance members I’ve met have been named after plants or flowers. I have yet to find the reason for such naming conventions.” 

“Maybe they just like the names?” 

“Perhaps. I took the name Pascal from the first philosophy book I read from. If his books are any measure of the one who wrote them, then the original Pascal must have been a rather dreary person to be around.” 

“... you’d certainly know that better than I would,” Daniel replied, trying not to let the shock on his face show. Accounts and works of Blaise Pascal had survived to now?! Those books must have been insanely well-kept. It was mindboggling. 

“Anyway, I’d better go. See you around, Pascal. And tell me that story if I come through here again!” 

“I will! I look forward to seeing you again!” 

*** 

It took Daniel a little under an hour to make his way back to the Resistance Camp. He had planned out his route to take him back to the camp as quickly as possible without coming too close to the Machines littered throughout the city. Well, as much as he could, without a map. Another advantage of being an Android was that they had accurate map data to reference and rely on. As a human being, he only had his memory, and fresh though it was, it was still remarkably harder than it would have otherwise been with a proper reference. 

Still, he made it back in one piece without having to fight anything. Anemone was delighted to see him, and the box of parts he carried, ushering him over to her command tent as soon as he arrived. 

“I take it that the meeting went well?” 

“Yeah. It’s weird, seeing them be so passive, but it’s also kinda relieving to know that only _most_ Machines want me dead. And Pascal is really nice. Like, abnormally nice.” 

“I know, right?” Anemone said, taking the box from his and setting it on her table. “It’s like, he seems a bit imposing at first, but then his voice kinda throws you for a bit of a loop. Then he starts talking and legitimately emoting, and it’s like-” 

“Like you can talk to him about a lot of stuff just because you know he would listen?” 

“Yeah! That’s it!” Anemone gave a laugh as she finished. “Ha! Glad to know I’m not the only one who feels that way.” 

“I’m... guessing from the way you phrased that that not all of the Resistance members are happy about the alliance with Pascal’s village?” 

Anemone sighed, running a hand through her still-hooded hair. “Unfortunately. Most of them have started warming up to the idea, but we’ve lost a lot of good people to the Machines. The idea of peace can be hard to swallow when you’ve been fighting for as long as we have. But like I said before, we don’t have much choice in those we can count among allies. And there are worse people to make an alliance with than pacifists. 

“Anway, I do believe I owe you a substantial amount of G.” Anemone began rummaging through her chest once again. A few seconds later, she tossed a bag over her shoulder to Daniel. He caught the airborne bag, and pulled it open. It was filled to the brim with nuts, bolts, screws, and other general things that would be associated with repair. That actually made a decent amount of sense. The most valuable thing, for both Androids and Machines alike, would be the availability of parts and repair materials, so that they could, you know, keep living. 

“All in all, that should be about fifteen thousand. Thank you for helping out, Clover. Seriously.” 

Daniel nodded, holding the bag close to his chest. “Thank you for the G. I’m... I’m gonna need it.” 

Anemone nodded back, and Daniel took that as his cue to leave, dashing immediately for Aster, who stood with his requested parts at the ready. There was a sly smile on her face, one that seemed oddly proud. “Welcome back to camp, Clover.” 

“I... don’t think I told you my name,” Daniel admitted. 

“You told Anemone, and it spread pretty fast from there. Not a whole lot of Androids come from outside the city, so everyone usually eats that up whenever they get a chance. I mean, we know they’re out there; Accord’s usually all over the place, and she’s the one who gets us most of our weapons. But other than her, we see maybe one or two others from different pockets of the Resistance around the world, but that's about it.” 

“Huh. Sounds pretty lonely.” 

“It can feel like that sometimes. But hey, all my friends are right here in camp. That’s really all I need.” 

“Fair enough.” Daniel lightly tossed her the bag of G, which Aster caught with a single hand. “Anemone said that was about fifteen thousand, so that’ll cover the price you offered earlier.” 

Aster looked at him in confusion. “You... you’re just giving me this?” 

“Well, I’m not _just_ giving you the bag of G, I’m giving you a bag of G in exchange for parts I need for Ace. I think that’s how trade works, right?” 

“I know, but most Androids would haggle for a lower price or-” 

“Aster, I appreciate the fact that you’re baffled by my cooperation, but I don’t really see the point in arguing price. If you want me to pay ten thousand, I’ll pay ten thousand. I already agreed to it, and my friend really needs those parts.” 

“I know, I know, just... let me separate the extra five thousand, alright? Also, what model type is Ace?” 

“She’s a female combat model, but a few years older than the newer ones.” That was one of the few things that A2 had actually told him about herself. 

“Alright, just checking. The filter actually hasn’t changed much, they just made it much more efficient than it used to be, so... yeah, that should work. Oh, I’m gonna savor this...” Aster muttered the last part under her breath. Daniel briefly wondered if she’d had problems with customers before. He could understand both sides of the argument: she needed money to keep her business running, and in successful businesses, that usually required set prices that didn’t change unless it was to keep up with inflation. Although... would Androids even have a concept of inflation? It would explain why she seemed so relieved to not have to argue with him. Bartering was probably much more common here than it had been back in the twenty-first century. 

So, with nothing better to do, Daniel leaned against a nearby post, crossed his arms, and observed the goings-on of the Resistance Camp. The weapons vendor chatted amiably with another resistance member, probably going over recent events as he checked over a weapon for sale. The shopkeeper with goggles on his head seemed to be finishing his gadget from earlier, letting out a triumphant sound as he raised it up. It looked like half of some kind of tube with a screen on the flat side. That screen was currently a blank white, but Daniel supposed that even getting it to work was something of a victory. Anemone was currently going over the various papers on her desk, rifling through them until she found one in particular, scanned through it, and began digging around for another one. In the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of red-headed Androids sitting in front of a... jukebox? How had that survived? This place was getting weirder and weirder by the second. But he was starting to get used to it. 

Then, two new Androids came into camp. They seemed somehow more advanced than the others around them, and their fashion sense certainly showed that they were different, if nothing else. Somehow, they walked with a deadly grace that briefly reminded him of A2. Above their shoulders were two contraptions with rectangular bodies and two arms with three fingers, one colored silver and gold while the other was colored black and red. 

The shorter of the two was male, with fair skin and a slight frame that suggested that he had little strength to speak of, though a katana, with the hilt wrapped in dark leather, the habaki and guard colored black, and the blade and pommel colored the shade of gold, hovered at his back, a small ring of white light around the sword suggesting that was what allowed it to defy gravity. He wore a black leather jacket with brass buttons and detailed embroidery around the hem, a symbol of some kind that Daniel didn’t recognize. He also wore black shorts, also made of leather, as well as a black leather messenger bag on his back, in addition to black leather boots and black gloves. His hair was white and cut short, and there was a simple black blindfold across where his eyes and nose would be, obscuring much of his face. 

The taller of the two was certainly more noticeable by looks alone. She was fair-skinned and quite feminine, slight and curvy in all the right ways, with a frame that suggested hidden strength despite the lack of muscle mass. She had two blades hovering behind her, each ringed in the same light as her companion’s katana. They were both white, with the smaller of the two being structurally identical to that of the male’s, with the only true difference being the coloration, and a small tassel of rope colored the same white as the blade, hilt, pommel, and guard, with the only true similarity being the black habaki where blade and guard met. Her second sword was colored similarly to the first, but was substantially larger, and the way the blade and hilt were connected looked strange, but structurally sound. She wore a black dress that hugged her curves, with a keyhole window in the dress that showed a generous amount of cleavage, though most of it was covered by a pattern sewn into the dress itself. The sleeves were puffy at the shoulders and flared at the elbows, and long gloves colored white around her forearms and black around her hands. The skirt of the dress trailed down to her lower thigh, and had embroidery of a similar style to her male companion’s jacket near the hem, though it was a different pattern, with a slit in the skirt that trailed almost all the way to her right hip and a short black bow tied above it. She also wore thigh-high boots and stockings, the former of which looked somewhat reinforced, as though she were expecting to kick with them on. That didn’t surprise him. Neither did the white hair in a bob cut or the dark hairband, or even the black blindfold across her eyes. What did surprise him was her facial structure. At least, what he could see of it with the blindfold on. A delicate nose, full lips, and a small beauty mark just to the left of her chin. 

They were the same things that he associated with A2, some of the first things he’d noticed about her. They weren’t just similarities; those details were practically identical! Daniel couldn’t see her eyes, but he would bet on them being some shade of blue. It was... honestly a little disturbing. 

Daniel rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, trying to find comfort in the presence of his weapon. As he did, something seemed to spark in his mind. He turned his head back to the new Androids – YoRHa Androids – he wasn’t sure how he knew that, and observed them. He didn’t recognize the male unit, but he somehow knew that he was probably a Scanner model; all male YoRHa units were Scanners, though he didn’t know how or why he knew this. It was like remembering something he’d forgotten a long time ago, but he also knew that these weren’t his memories. 

Before he could panic about the fact that he was recalling memories that clearly weren’t his, Daniel looked at the female Android a second time, and felt a sense of... familiarity and camaraderie. Then, with feelings and memories that were not his own, he recalled something else. A number and a letter that served as a name. One that someone had come to respect quite a bit. One that someone felt ashamed of thinking of. A friend. A sister in arms. 

2B. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. That all happened. So, all of you are probably wondering: why? Well, the answer comes in parts. 
> 
> First off, why the repairs? The simplest answer is for story reasons, but the more complicated one is that, at least to my knowledge, A2 hasn't had proper repairs in years, and she wasn't designed with that fact in mind. It's never explicitly stated in canon, but she probably kept herself going with patch jobs whenever she needed repairs, but years without proper repair will eventually be the end of any technology, even for beings as advanced as Androids. So, that, combined with the accumulated damage that one takes from years of battle, would probably leave her fairly exhausted. Considering the fact that fuel filter replacement was never a problem for 2B or 9S, since they're newer models, I thought that this would be a good way to get things moving.
> 
> Second, why the Pascal interaction? Part of it is that I just like Pascal a lot, and I wanted him to appear close to the beginning since he'll be interacting more with Daniel later down the line. Plus, given A2's quests with the Resistance Camp and the Machine Village later into the game, I figured a task like the one I gave Daniel wouldn't be out of the question. Somebody's gotta make the deliveries, after all.
> 
> Thirdly, what are 2B and 9S doing at the Resistance Camp? Well, I'll say this: in terms of the game's overall timeline, we're at the part where you first find Pascal's village after beating the amusement park, and they were on their way back to confront Anemone about that. That does mean that Adam and Eve have already been born, but it still hasn't been very long; maybe a week or two, at most. But as for a resolution to this situation, you'll have to wait until the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!


	4. Riddles and Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel lies behind a smile, A2 is repaired, and the two prepare for a journey beyond the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Welcome to Chapter 4! So, this one isn't nearly as long as the last chapter, not even by half, but I thought that it would be a good place to take a bit of a breath while they prepare for what comes in the next one. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy what's in store!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

Daniel was suddenly very, very tense. Not because of anything the new Androids had done, they were just discussing something with Anemone, but because of what he was remembering. He knew her name.  _ He  _ _ knew her name! _ Somehow, he knew who that B-type was, talking it out with the cloaked leader of the Resistance, and it was beginning to freak him out. 

He could write off a lot of this as coincidence. They were Androids, so maybe they used similar structural data to what they’d used for A2’s appearance. It would save time and resources, rather than generating a whole other model from scratch. The problem was that he could recall memories that specifically had  _ her _ in them. They weren’t very clear, and he could only make out bits and pieces, but he knew they were there, and that they hadn’t been there before.

He shook himself from the intrusive memories and focused on the conversation they were having with Anemone. It was cordial. Almost... painfully cordial. Like 2B and  the male Scanner could barely contain themselves. Daniel wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad thing, but it tended to be the latter, more often than not. 

“They said that they had been trading with you for a while now; almost four months. Is that true?” 2B asked. Her voice was a bit deeper than A2’s, but no less feminine, and just as melodious. 

“Yes.” It was a simple response Anemone gave, but it covered everything fairly well. When applied correctly, simple answers often did.

“But... they’re Machines! We can’t trust what they say just because they’re not fighting us!” said the scanner, his body language somewhat animated with his bafflement. Daniel didn’t blame him; he had been just as baffled. Though his seemed less like curiosity and more like hostility, though the former was still in there.

“Look, I know for a fact that things are a lot different for you guys up in space...”

_ Do they have a goddamn space base?! How... you know what, just roll with it. That isn’t even the craziest thing I’ve heard today. _

“... but down here, we don’t get a lot of options. They can make more complex circuits and parts that we just can’t, and we give them repair supplies that aren’t common in the forest. It’s a simple trade deal, but it’s already helped us out a lot.”

“But-”

“But nothing, 9S. Look, the Resistance and  YoRHa both want to protect humanity, it’s one of the main reasons that you’re down here at all. It’s really more of a handshake deal than any semblance of an actual alliance. We prefer our freedom, so they don’t send us supplies. Everything you see here? With very little exception, we made it all from scrap and older tech. I appreciate the assistance you’re giving us now; I really do. It’s more than we’ve gotten from  YoRHa in the past. But living down here is hard enough as it is, and I’ll say this now: we will not tolerate being judged for simply doing our best to survive. Okay?”

“... understood. I apologize for upsetting you,” 2B said. She was clearly still reeling from the truth of the matter, but she calmed herself quickly, putting on a mask of indifference. “If nothing else, the village didn’t seem hostile. Especially Pascal. He is... certainly unique.”

“That he is. Actually, we made a delivery to them just today.”

“How long ago was that? We didn’t run into anyone on the way over,” the scanner, now identified as 9S, asked. He seemed much more curious now, though that same curiosity was still quite cautious.

“Our guy got back to camp a few minutes before you did. He should be over with Aster,” Anemone said, gesturing to Daniel, causing him to move his eyes to the dusted ground. He didn’t want them to know that he’d been listening in intentionally. Though, it was kind of hard not to. They were a bit loud. “His name’s Clover. He’s not actually part of the Resistance, but he needed some G, I needed that delivery to get made, and everything ended up working out.”

“I see. May we speak to him? Learning of Androids from outside the city would be a great deal of help,” 2B asked.

“Plus, he could tell us about his interaction with the village. Maybe he learned something that we didn’t,” 9S said in kind. 

“Sure, if he’s good with talking to you two. Don’t be too rough with him, alright? He had a memory wipe not too long ago, so a lot of this is new to him.”

As their conversation wrapped up, Daniel took a breath. They would be coming over to talk. With him. About his visit to Pascal’s village. And about the area outside of the city. Anemone had already told them about his “memory wipe,” so he wouldn’t have to explain his lack of substantial knowledge, but he might have to make a few things up on the fly that could reasonably fit in with his story. It would be very difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. 

As his thoughts began to wander away from him again, Aster tapped him on the shoulder, shaking him from his mind. “I’ve got the G sorted out. Here’s the extra five thousand, and the parts you asked for.”

She placed a much lighter bag of G and a medium-sized box of parts into Daniel’s hands. The box felt a bit heavy, but in a way that felt comfortable, and wasn’t demanding at all to his body. He was once again thankful for his perfected form. If he hadn’t had it, he probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything useful. He certainly couldn’t have done everything he had today without driving himself to exhaustion. 

“Thank you. I hope I’ll see you around.”

Aster chuckled at that. “Trust me Clover: in this city, we’re bound to run into each other eventually. Now, I do believe the  YoRHa crew would like a word with you?”

Daniel sighed. So, she’d heard it too. That wasn’t surprising; again, the two  YoRHa Androids hadn’t exactly been quiet. In fact, the telltale click of high-heels and heavy boots were coming toward him that very moment. Okay. Showtime.

Daniel spun on his heels, facing the two approaching Androids with a knowing look. “Ah. I take it  you’re part of this  YoRHa thing that everyone keeps talking about, right?”

“Yes,” 2B responded  immediately . “We have-”

“Some questions for me about my  experiences with Pascal and outside the city.”

…

“... you weren’t exactly quiet. I wasn’t even trying to listen in, but I heard your conversation from here.”

“... yeah, you got us there,” 9S said with a sigh. “We really need to work on that.”

“Not the point,” 2B said, brushing past the issue with a hint of pink dusting her cheeks. It was so faint that Daniel that he had imagined it for a moment. “Regardless, we do need that information. It could prove to be beneficial to humanity and  YoRHa as a whole.”

“Well, ask away,” Daniel replied, though he was nervous beyond belief. He didn’t let it show, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t there. “But I probably won’t be able to answer much. I’ll tell you what I can, but don’t go expecting to find anything amazing in what memories I have.”

“Your name is Clover?” the black-dressed woman asked.

“That is what they call me,” Daniel lied, his smile perfectly casual. Lying made interactions with other people easier. He didn’t enjoy it by any means, but it was a useful tool. And it didn’t make him any less anxious.

“What is the earliest memory you can recall? Anything from outside the city?” 9S asked. His question was much more pointed, but well thought out. 

“Well... I woke up at the edge of a forest, wandered around for a bit, got chased by one of those larger Machines for a while... and then I ran into Ace. That’s about it.” He didn’t have to lie for that one. Technically. 

“Do you know what caused your memory to be wiped? Like a programmed response or sustained damage?” the short scanner inquired, deep in the process of gathering information. 2B just looked around idly, the odd silver thing floating over her shoulder while 9S’ black one did the same. They were oddly designed. What were they called? How did they function? Why were there different color variations when a single variant would’ve sufficed? 

These questions buzzed in his head for his second before Daniel answered the one that 9S had asked. “Well, I don’t really recall that much of how it happened. Wouldn’t be much of a memory problem if I could remember how and why. But, according to Ace, I got hit by a  _ really  _ bad EMP blast.”

“How... how are you alive?!” 9S exclaimed. “Are you a defensive unit or something?”

Daniel laughed. “I have no goddamn idea! Ace tried to get into my operating system to assess the damage, but she couldn’t open it at all. Guess the blast screwed with it. So, for the moment, no one knows what type of Android I am, least of all me. Trust me, this hurts much more for me than it does for you.”

9S sighed. “Well, I can’t exactly say I’m entirely surprised. EMPs tend to screw with even our systems, and we’re built to withstand them without dying. Also, your interaction with Pascal: did you two talk about anything in particular? Anything that might prove useful?”

“Well, we talked shop for the most part. He did say that he changed his voice so that it would be more appealing to the kids over there, but other than that, we didn’t really discuss anything that important,” Daniel said, reminding himself to ask Pascal about that story next time he was in the area. He was still curious as to how tales of the dragon and the giant had survived. 

“Alright, that should be everything. So, now that the business is out of the way... why Clover?”

“Mm? How do you mean?”

“Did you choose it? Like, did you see the plant and decide to name yourself after it? I know that’s pretty common practice with the Resistance. I mean, Anemone, Aster, Basil, Hibiscus; it’s kind of a pattern that I’m really interested in. So...”

“... I didn’t actually choose the name. Ace just started called me Clover, and it kinda... stuck. I don’t dislike clovers as plants, but I don’t really have any special attachment to them.” Daniel answered. It was certainly a lie, but a plausible one. He was doubly fortunate that no one here knew A2. Though 2B’s striking resemblance to her couldn’t be a simple coincidence. He would have to ask A2 about that once he got back to the forest. 

“Fair enough,” 2B said. “It’s not as though it’s a rule; more of a guideline than anything else. Not everyone from the Resistance is named after a plant or flower. We met one of them over in the desert who called themselves ‘Jackass.’ They’re very... unique.”

“If by unique you mean crazy,” 9S replied.

“That is another word for it,” 2B said, not missing a beat.

“Wait, hold on for a second... there’s an Android who legitimately took the name ‘Jackass?’”

“Yup,” 9S replied, straight-faced.

“And you think they’re crazy because...?”

“They blew up a gate in order to open it quickly and regularly sets up traps with high-yield explosives,” 2B said, voice monotone and face blank.

…

“... I have to admit, I’m intrigued.”

“If you want to talk to them, they’re usually over by the desert outpost. Have been since the incident at the old residential area.”

“The... what?”

9S raised an eyebrow in confusion. “You know, the residential area? I think humans used to call it an ‘apartment complex’ or something like-”

“No, not that; what happened?”

“Well... I mean... I’m not really supposed to say,” 9S said, an apologetic  look on his face. “Classified info and all that.”

2B’s face remained neutral and betrayed nothing. However, there was the slightest twitch to her hand as the residential complex was mentioned. Why the discomfort? Had she been involved somehow? The two units seemed rather close. They had investigated Pascal’s village together, so maybe they were a team of some sort? But that task could’ve been performed with just 9S; he was a scanner after all – okay, he was remembering stuff that wasn’t supposed to be there again. Great.

“I... understand,” Daniel said with a sigh. Still, this intrigued him even more than Jackass. A mystery? Classified information? Something had happened over there, and he was quite curious to find out exactly what. It was legitimately exciting. 

“Also, if you don’t mind me asking... what are those things hovering over your shoulders? I haven’t seen them around before.”

“Oh, you mean the Pods?” 9S gestured to the floating thing above his shoulder. “They’re  YoRHa support units, and they’re usually given to the Androids who take on more dangerous missions. It’s like having a second Android with you. If only in the combat sense.”

As if on cue, the black Pod took the opportunity to introduce herself.  _ “Greeting: Hello, Clover. This unit is designated Pod 153, and is assigned to unit 9S. It is a pleasure to meet you.” _

“Erm... it’s nice to meet you too,” Daniel responded. He hadn’t expected them to talk. Though it was nice to have one mystery solved. Unlike that desert one. Maybe he could get A2 to come with him to investigate it? With the brand-new filter, she could probably stay out in the desert for a damn long time, if she wanted. Though, to his knowledge, she rarely ever left the forest. Another question for when he got back.

Then, the silver Pod spoke up, introducing himself as well.  _ “Greeting: Hello, Clover. This unit is designated Pod 042, and is assigned to unit 2B. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” _

“Pod?” 2B asked in confusion. “Why the introduction?”

_ “Report: The action of introductions ensures that one knows the names and faces of potential peers and colleagues. It is entirely possible we will run into this Clover unit again in the future. Therefore, it would be best to establish a positive relationship as soon as possible. It is standard procedure." _

“You’re a sneaky one, aren’t ya? I like you,” Daniel said, genuinely impressed with Pod 042’s reasoning. It wasn’t the most sophisticated reasoning in the world, but it didn’t need to be. If it worked, it worked.

_ “Clarification: I am not deceitful. I am simply efficient." _

“Whatever you say. Anyway, I really do need to go now. It was nice meeting you two. Maybe we’ll run into each other or something.”

“Maybe. Seeya around, Clover,” 9S said with a shrug and a smile. 2B simply nodded to Daniel as he left, which he returned before jogging to the edge of the Resistance Camp, intent on returning to A2 as quickly as possible.

***

“No, not there,” A2 said, grunting in a brief flash of discomfort.

“O-oh, sorry...” Daniel replied, moving his fingers back to their earlier position. 

“It’s fine, just... put it in slow...”

“Alright.” Daniel did as she asked, sliding his fingers further inside.

“Be gentle. I can take a lot, but-”

“I know. You’re tough, not invincible,” Daniel said, readjusting his hand and taking a different approach. “Is this better?”

“Oh! Oh yeah! Right there! Almost...!”

A2 gasped as her body gave a visible shudder throughout. She gave a heavy sigh; a relaxing sound that let Daniel breathe easier too.

“Alright! Oh, it feels good to move again,” A2 exclaimed, suddenly sitting upright as she flexed her fingers and lifted her arms. Her midriff had been exposed for the process, and it had taken Daniel’s complete control and focus to not mess things up. “I feel like a new Android!”

“I’d imagine so. We are using newer parts, after all,” Daniel said, leaning back as he stretched the fingers on his right hand. Installing the new mobility circuits for A2 had involved taking out the old ones, which had rendered her temporarily paralyzed. He wondered what that felt like? A deep tissue massage, the feeling of fading numbness, maybe some odd combination of both? Well, however it actually felt, Daniel hadn’t messed up the installation of the parts, and that was a win in his book. Although it was strange that he technically performed surgery on someone who had been conscious the entire time. It was less disturbing than rummaging through someone’s intestines, though it had certainly been one of the most unusual things he had ever done. … well, he actually  _ had  _ just rummaged through someone’s intestines, they just happened to not be human. What did that say about him?

“Hey! D!” A2 said, snapping Daniel from his mind. “What’s happening up there?”

“Sorry, just... this is pretty surreal for me,” he admitted, running a hand through his disheveled brown hair. He would have to cut it soon. He would ask A2, but he doubted she saw his hair as a problem; hers trailed down to her hips, and was far  more wild than his own. “If we tried to do that with a human without proper anesthesia, they’d probably have been screaming in pain. It felt... weird.”

“Well, don’t worry too much. Now that I can move again, you’ll just need to hold my skin open while I replace my fuel filter. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“I do not like the way you said that!”

A2 laughed at that, short though it was. “What, are you that  squeamish ?”

“... I mean, kind of. It’s not like I ever prepared  myself to do something like this.”

“I get that,” A2 said, not bothering to elaborate as she began the process of, once again, pulling open her skin along a visible seam. “Now, let’s get my filter replaced.”

Daniel nodded, holding the skin open while A2 grabbed the aforementioned filter. Her insides were actually structurally similar to a human, if one took the muscle structure into account. Daniel didn’t know a great deal about anatomy, but the first layer of her insides did remind him of some anatomy posters he had seen a couple of times. The only real sign that they were fake was the odd coloration of those same muscles, mostly different shades of grey with light orange highlights. 

She dug further in, past the muscles that were surely far stronger and denser than any human’s, her discomfort clear as she  grit her teeth and furrowed her brow together. She assured him that it would fade quick, but he still worried about the effect that this would have on her. Then, he saw the rest of her insides, where her similarity to a human being stopped almost entirely. There were devices and circuitry so complex that Daniel couldn’t even begin to understand how they functioned.  But, they served their purpose, and functioned as organs would, if only much more efficient ones. A2 reached further in, found what she was looking for, and disconnected it, pulling it out quickly before moving on to the installation of the new filter. The process was quick, clean, and easy.

As soon as it was slotted inside, she breathed a relieved sigh. “Oh, that feels better already. I... D, what are you doing?”

A2 was referring to the fact that, as soon as they had finished replacing her filter, Daniel had quickly, but carefully, removed his hands from her opened skin and turned his head away. A2 didn’t seem to have much of a concept of modesty, as though her choice of clothing hadn’t been evidence enough of that. Although that may have been due less  to choice and more to circumstance. Even so, the manners that his father had taught him when he was younger were still very much a part of him. It wasn’t anything fancy, or particularly complicated. It could quite easily be boiled down to: “Listen before you speak; Think before you act; Don’t touch other people without permission;  _ No always means no _ .” Not complicated, and easy enough for even a nine-year-old boy to remember. 

“Just... something of a habit,” Daniel explained. 

“D, I don’t really care what I look like. Long as I can move, I can kill Machines.”

“I know, but... could you please put the rest of your top back on? This is  kinda uncomfortable for me.”

A2 cocked her head, as though processing the information. Then, with a still confused look on her face, she put her top back where it used to be, covering her midriff once more. 

“Thanks. Sorry, I just...” Daniel briefly went over how to explain how this had been awkward for him before realizing that he really couldn’t. He had never been intimate with anybody in a romantic or carnal sense, or really even been in an actual relationship, but he did still find A2 very,  _ very  _ attractive. The initial infatuation had died down somewhat, and he really liked her as a friend, but his mind sometimes couldn’t stop itself from thinking certain things of a sexual nature. He kept it to himself, but he still felt somewhat ashamed for thinking them.

“Relax. It’s not like it’s that big a deal, anyway,” A2 said. “So, you had stuff to tell me about?”

“Yeah. Do you know where the housing complex is in the desert?” Daniel asked. 

“Vaguely. Why?”

“Well... while I was in the Resistance Camp, I ran into these two  YoRHa Androids. Most of what they talked about was stuff about the story I gave them, basic info and all that,” Daniel began. He decided to leave out Pascal and the Pacifist Machines. Though he did like A2 as a person, he didn’t quite trust her to not give in to her urges and kill every last one of them. He still didn’t know what had happened to her, after all. “Most of that conversation wasn’t too important. But they did mention something happening over in that area of the desert. Not a whole lot of Androids seem to go over there anymore, but something happened over there. Something big.”

“What happened?” A2 asked, seeming genuinely intrigued by what he was saying.

“That’s just it: they didn’t say. The two I talked to were clearly involved, but the scanner did most of the talking, and even then, he didn’t say much about it.”

She nodded, her wild white hair shifting with the motion. Then she pursed her lips, as though in thought. “What were their names? The units you talked to?”

“Uh... 2B and 9S, I think,” he replied after a brief moment. “Why?”

A2’s eyes had gone wide, her gaze finding itself entranced with the ground as she hid her face behind her curtain of long white hair. Did she know them? It would explain her reaction. Though, if she was an older model, and they were newer than she was, then how did she know about them? Yet another question he would have to ask her at a later time. Speaking of questions...

“Also... about 2B... I couldn’t see her whole face, but she seemed to look a lot like you. You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but... do you know why?”

A long moment passed before she nodded again, sweeping her long hair away from her face, and looking Daniel in the eye as she answered. “ YoRHa ... before I deserted, they took my combat data and used it to make better Androids. The reason she looks like me is that... well, she  _ is  _ me, in a sense. A different version in almost every way imaginable, almost a different Android entirely, but she did have a similar starting point.”

“... how do you know that?”

“I... I’d rather not talk about it.” A2’s posture visibly slumped, as though even thinking on the topic made her feel numb to it all. 

Daniel nodded to that. They sat there for several minutes, neither moving nor doing anything of note. Just sitting there, silently appreciating the fact that they weren’t alone. They didn’t speak that sentiment aloud. They didn’t have to. It simply was. 

But, after the minutes were over, A2 took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “Okay. I think I’m good. And... I have to admit, I am curious about what happened in the desert. You down to head over?”

“Yeah. Although... I don’t think I’ll be able to help much up close. I’m not that good with a sword. So, unless we can find a way to keep me out of the way while you go to town on any Machines we find, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go there safely. Not to mention the prep we’ll have to take in order to even go to the desert.”

“Er... why all the prep, though? Can't we just go there and head back?”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to prep very much. Take some weapons, maybe some water, and you’d be good to go. Me? Well, humans are, as you’ve certainly noticed, extremely fragile, and prone to needing certain things to function. I’ll need water, some food I can carry with me, maybe a compass if we can find one, clothes to protect me from the heat-”

“Protect from the heat?”

“Yeah. You ever heard of heatstroke?”

“Not even once. What is it?”

“Short version: it’s where a human is exposed to the heat for so long that their internal temperature gets dangerously high, to the point that you can’t really function beyond basic things your body does naturally. Even then, you’ll still be on bed rest for weeks, and need to be kept consistently cool until your temperature goes back to normal, or you could die.”

“... how did you humans survive long  enough to make it onto the moon?”

“I have no idea. In a test of strength, against most of the animal population, we’re pretty much fucked. If we’re not careful, we could die from... well, a  _ lot _ of stuff. But... hmm...”

“What? What is it?”

“... do the Resistance members use guns? Rifles, pistols, carbines, anything like that?”

“Last time I checked, they were using a lot of guns. Like,  _ a lot _ of guns. Why?”

“Do you think I might be able to get some on loan? It wouldn’t need to be anything fancy, just high-caliber so that it pierces metal. It wouldn’t exactly be the best way to kill Machines, but I’ll probably still be able to help you out in fights.”

“Would you even know how to use firearms? YoRHa doesn’t use them beyond Gunners because of the Pods, but you don’t really... seem like the type to use weapons at all,” A2 said.

“I really wasn’t. I was never that interested in guns, but I did love swords, despite the fact that I never learned how to use them. But my dad  _ was _ a soldier; he made sure I knew how to use the guns he owned safely. ‘Always treat a gun like it’s loaded.  _ Always.’ _ It was a good first rule. Anyway, I know how to use most guns, and the G I have leftover should be enough to buy us some canteens, ammunition, maybe some cloaks for the sun. Beyond that, renting guns for stuff like hunting and sport wasn’t out of the question back where I lived before I got the Syndrome, and considering the stockpile they probably have, I don’t think they’ll miss one or two for a few days.”

.

..

…

“... where the hell  were you born, D?”

“Well, I was born in Dallas, Texas, but I was raised in Denver, Colorado. Why?” Daniel gave her a confused look. Would she even know about those places?

“Curiosity. Although, I don’t exactly know where those places would be on a map,” A2 admitted. 

“I don’t think it would be around here. America didn’t have a whole lot of standing forests that aren’t next to mountains, certainly none that are so close to the sea. I could be wrong. The country was  _ really  _ large, and I hadn’t been everywhere, just Texas and Colorado, for the most part. Anyway, if I can get all of that stuff from the Resistance camp, we should be good to go. Might take a day or two, though. Depends on whether they’re renting guns or selling them.”

A2 nodded, standing with a brief hop and a quick stretch. “Well, I suppose we’d better get some food prepped for you. Want to come boar hunting with me? I need to break in these new parts, and you could use the experience.”

Daniel smiled as he rose, his sword in hand. “I’ve been waiting to do this for a while! I was wondering how you always managed to get them so cleanly.”

She gave  him a broad smile as they moved away from the campsite. “Trust me, you’ll learn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, be honest, how many of your minds went /there/ when I started the scene with Daniel and A2? I'm not judging, I'd be something of a hypocrite if I were, but I am curious. So, let's get some obvious questions out of the way. 
> 
> First: why did 9S do most of the talking? Well, it's a simple question with an equally simple answer: he's 9S, of course he'd do most of the talking. 2B doesn't strike me as the type to make friendly conversation with... well, anyone, though there are a few exceptions to this, like 6O, since she seems to be her only friend besides 9S. She's a very work-oriented individual, and if you've played Automata, or have read some of the Automata short stories by Taro, you probably understand why that's the case. 
> 
> (Also, for those of you who haven't played or watched Automata, I do not recommend reading the short stories unless you have context for everything in the game. I'll warn you now: all of the short stories have major spoilers in them, for both Automata and the original NieR. You can find most of the short stories here: https://theark.wiki/w/Welcome , but read them at your own discretion. Some of them can get... really, really depressing. There's also a reading of a few of the stories on Kyle McCarley's YouTube channel for those who prefer an Audiobook experience.)
> 
> Second: why the guns? Well, although it's never directly mentioned in the game, it is very clear that the Resistance members use guns a lot. It's in Anemone's character art, and during Gathering Keepsakes (I know this sidequest has a shaky canonical status, but bear with me here), all of the corpses you find have at least one gun with them. YoRHa doesn't really need guns outside of Gunner types (which you don't see in game, but they are confirmed to be canon in the YoRHa Boys Stage Play) because they have the Pods, which are more than up to the task of shooting things until they die.
> 
> But the more pressing question is probably: why is Daniel gonna use guns? Well, as explained, his dad was a soldier, and once Daniel was old enough, he taught him how to use all of the guns he owned and just how dangerous they could be. A2 is teaching Daniel how to use a sword, but it's a slow process, and Daniel knows more about guns anyway. He's not comfortable around them, but he knows that, for now, the best way he can help A2 is at a distance, out of her way and where no Machine can easily get to him. For those of you who are worried, he's not going to be using guns forever. That would be making things too easy for him. :)
> 
> Anyway, that about wraps up this post-chapter note! Hope to see you guys next time!


	5. Deserted Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel becomes conflicted about Machines, A2 goes Berserk as she fights, and something else begins to slip through the cracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we are! Sorry that this one took so long to write, guys. I took a bit of a break while I went to visit some family, but the good news is: I'm back now! 
> 
> This chapter actually ended up being a lot longer than I initially intended. Like, a lot longer. It was originally only going to be about five thousand words or so, but that got upped to eight thousand six hundred when I actually wrote it. Anyway, I still hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Hopefully, the next one won't take too long.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

“Jesus, I knew that the desert was going to be hot as hell, but this... this is fucking ridiculous.” 

Daniel was referring, of course, to the blast of heat that greeted them almost as soon as they stepped past the city’s edge. White dust mixed with sand beneath their feet as they made their way towards the southwestern edge, a soft crunch echoing their steps as they passed. Two large buildings made the entrance to the desert obvious, slightly slanted to provide a form of shade. Just beyond this was a small outpost manned by two lone Resistance Members, nicknamed The Desert Duo, and one of those two happened to be the one and only Jackass. 

A2 was just ahead of him, a frown on her face as she pulled the hood of her cloak further over her eyes. “I know. We’re built to be resistant to a lot, but this place is already hell on my sensory circuits.” 

“Will they last the trip?” 

“Trust me, D, the last thing in this body to rot away will be those things. They were made to go through _a lot_.” 

A2’s scantily clothed frame was currently hidden beneath a dark cloak that trailed all the way down to her calves. Her Type-40 blade was still visible to those who looked for it, but otherwise, she was entirely covered. She had tucked her hair into the hood, its colored and length obscured. Daniel wore a similar cloak over his own clothes, though he decided to forgo his jacket, with a bag on his back beneath the cloak that contained said jacket, some salted boar meat, two full canteens of water, and clips upon clips of heavy ammo. The reason for this was due to the newest items on his person: a black Barrett .50 Caliber Rifle, slung across his back over the cloak, and a silver .357 Magnum Colt Python Revolver which rested in a holster at his right hip. 

His sword was, of course, still at his side, and the one piece of his equipment that he was comfortable with. Daniel had never been fond of guns, despite being taught how to use them. He had been far more fascinated by swords and the stories that were associated with them. But the practical reality was that he knew how to use guns. For the moment, this was the best way he had of defending himself. Plus, with him out of the way, he could let A2 do her thing without having to worry about cutting him in half by accident! 

The two made their way further up, and found a few peculiar things. The first were a couple of tarps at opposite ends of the path held up by wooden poles, meant to keep the sun away and offer some relief from the never-ending heat. There was some kind of vending machine beneath the tarp to the left. Seriously, how the hell had one of these things survived? It barely even looked like a vending machine anymore. It was covered in rust, several buttons had fallen off, and even the snack selection looked... flat. Not in any metaphorical sense, it actually looked flat, like someone had put a sheet of now rusted metal behind the glass or something. It was weird, but not nearly as bizarre as some of the other things he had seen in the past month. 

Then, to the right, beneath the second tarp, they saw the Desert Duo. The first of the two was male, with goggles on his face and rough, weather-beaten clothing meant for a desert environment. The Resistance Camp had said that his name was Isaac. The person next to him, however, was quite different. They appeared somewhat feminine, but also quite androgynous, with a sandy grey hood covering their dark hair and fair skin, a pair of powder-blue eyes peeking out. Their clothes were also rough, but also more distinct. They had a combat vest beneath their tattered cloak, and though they held no weapons, they seemed somehow... unconcerned. That alone ensured that Daniel’s guard was up. In the corner of his eye, he saw A2 tense up as well. 

Still, he shook himself out of it. The rather intimidating presence could only have come from Jackass. They matched the description that Anemone had given, and they certainly seemed a bit crazy. Daniel turned to A2 and gave a slight nod. A2 returned the nod and walked over to the other end of the camp, her cloak hiding her form entirely, leaning against the wall near the vending machine while she waited. The plan would be for Daniel to speak to Jackass and, essentially, give their alibi to the Desert outpost, so that the Resistance wouldn’t question why they were there. A2 had agreed on the condition that Daniel do all of the talking. He had agreed, but he had been surprised by how quickly she had given him mediation duties. But considering the fact that she hadn’t really talked to anyone other than him in a long, long time, maybe she just wasn’t confident in her social skills with other people. 

He approached the Desert Duo, removing his cloak’s hood as he stepped beneath the tarp, and greeted them. “Hey! I assume you’re the Desert Duo that the rest mentioned?” 

Isaac gave a loud groan at the mention of their nickname. “I told them to quit calling us that! It’s not even that clever!” 

“Oh, really? Think you could come up with a better one?” Jackass asked, their lips pulled into a smirk. 

“Maybe, if I had enough time,” Isaac replied. “And I thought you didn’t like it either.” 

“Well, I did at first. But you’ve got to admit, it does sum us up pretty well. Two people out in the Desert. Therefore: Desert Duo. It’s not exactly a difficult conclusion to make.” 

Isaac sighed. “This isn’t even worth arguing about. Anyway, did you need something? Supplies, spare repair parts, something like that?” 

“Nah, I’ve already got what we need. Ace and I are heading into the desert, and Anemone told me to check in with you beforehand,” Daniel explained. 

Jackass nodded. “You’re Clover, right? That odd Android that had a memory wipe ‘cause of an EMP?” 

“The one and only. I hope. I sincerely hope I don’t have an evil doppelganger or something. That would be awkward.” 

Jackass laughed at that. “Well, at least you’ve got a sense of humor! I’m Jackass. Nice to meet ya!” 

“The pleasure is mine. But, please don’t blow anything up. I’d like to keep all of my limbs where they are,” Daniel asked as he scanned the nearby surroundings for bombs. A2 shook her head in answer to his silent question, but that still didn’t put him at ease. 

Jackass tilted her head innocently, as though in confusion. “What ever do you mean?” 

“I heard about the gate incident.” 

“Hey, they don’t know the kind of torture that fucking gate is on my circuits! I didn’t want to move ten tons of solid steel again; I’m not built for that shit!” 

“And you blew it up... why?” 

“Two birds, one stone. It’s not like Machines come through that place anyway. I was watching that gate for a solid month, through the constant heat and the goddamn sandstorms! I was armed to the teeth and itching to get my rush from fighting, hoping that something would pop out just so I could send it to the fucking scrapheap. You know what happened instead?” 

“... nothing?” 

“Absolutely fucking nothing! All that prep, all that anticipation, and nothing! It was the gate’s fault! It wasn’t letting anything in, but I couldn’t just blow it up without a good cause.! That could be misconstrued as sabotage! No, I’d have to be sneaky about it. Then I got the call, and I suddenly had the perfect excuse. I rigged it to blow, and when the time came, I didn’t hesitate to push the detonator. And what came after that... I swear to every human on the moon, when I blew the shit out of that gate, I felt a kind of bliss I don’t think I’ll ever feel again. It was so goddamn satisfying!” 

. 

.. 

… 

“... right, well, we’re gonna go now.” 

“Have fun, don’t die, and always remember: if you can’t see the Machines, they’re probably in the sand.” 

“I’ll keep it in mind, Jackass.” 

Daniel nodded to A2 again, prompting her to leave her position against the wall as they walked through the entrance to the desert. It took a little while to actually find their way through the place. There were a few “landmarks” in the form of natural caves and the husks of buildings, but it was fairly easy to get turned around in the enclosed space. They even found a few Machines walking around. These ones were much more aggressive than the ones in the city and usually charged straight for them. A2 took care of them in less than a few seconds. After that, Daniel would take a brief minute to collect the G from their bodies, and they would be on their way. It was a morbid prospect, but it was also free money. 

Almost ten minutes later, they found the remains of the gate. Well, it wasn't really a gate; more like a very, very heavy wall. There were a few mechanisms to the side that indicated that it may have once acted as a kind of gate, but those had long since fallen into disrepair. There were large pieces remaining from the aforementioned incident with this very gate off to the side. From their size alone, Daniel could guess the whole thing would be almost impossible to lift it normally, even with the enhanced strength that most Androids possessed. 

“So... are those pieces what’s left of that gate they were talking about?” A2 asked. 

“Yeah. Jackass blew it to hell when some other Androids came through here.” 

“So... the whole gate was actually this thick?” A2 pointed to one of the larger pieces of the remaining gate, a look of genuine apprehension on her face. 

“Laws of Continuity say it should be at least that thick, if not even more so. Why?” 

“... yeah, I really don’t blame them for blowing this thing to hell.” 

“Neither do I.” 

With that out of their way, they traveled through the outcropping in the sandstone mass that led to the desert. It was a strange feeling, walking through those caves. It reminded him of hiking back in Colorado with his parents. He had never liked the act of hiking, especially over steep hills and passes, but he did like the feelings he had whenever he saw a hidden mountain lake or a small clearing in the forest: like he had been transported to an entirely different world for just a few moments. 

When they came out of the cave, that feeling almost took Daniel off his feet. Stretching out to the horizon from the entrance of the cave were ebbing and flowing dunes of sand, holding their forms like a suddenly frozen ocean mid-tide. The dunes dipped and curved up and down, both large and small, for miles on miles. It seemed to go on forever. He’d seen pictures of a desert before, and he’d even been to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. But that was contained, and, in hindsight, felt small scale. This was a truly wild desert, something that had not seen a human touch in thousands of years. It was far more grand than any park could ever hope to be. 

A2 looked at his flabbergasted expression with a slight smirk as she pulled her hood down, letting her long white hair flow freely down her back. “Yeah, take it in. Sights like this take a while to process. It certainly took a while for me, when I came down here. Though mine wasn’t a desert.” 

Daniel took a few seconds to take in the rest of his awe before turning to her, and prepared to ask her a simple question. “Where were you dropped?” 

The question made her a bit stiff, her muscles suddenly tensing in discomfort. A2 didn’t like talking about herself. In all the time that they had spent together, she had never given a concrete answer as to her past other than a few vague references to a particular mission; a drop. But as curious as Daniel was about her past, he hoped that she could see that she could brush the question off if she wasn’t comfortable with it. And if she couldn’t, he would take it back if she wasn’t ready to answer it. He didn’t want her to answer his questions just because he was human. She deserved better than that. 

Still, she turned to him, and gave a pained smile. “Pearl Harbor. We were sent as an advance force against a Machine threat that had been gathering there. Most of my team died on the way down. I was made captain mid-op. Only four of us survived the initial drop.” 

“...” Daniel said nothing. There really wasn’t anything he _could_ say. He had experienced loss in his life: his mother had died giving birth to Liam, and his dad had died fighting the Legion. He wasn’t sure what had happened to Liam. He was put into a foster system, and he never saw his little brother again. That had been two years before his death by White Chlorination Syndrome But this... A2 had been through far more than he knew. Far more than he might ever know. 

Still, he gave her a nod, and shifted the conversation to a related, but less gloomy, topic as they began their way down from the outcropping. “Hawaii’s still a thing, then? At least, the islands are?” 

“Yeah. It was at a point of the planet that was trapped somewhere between early morning and dawn, in terms of a time zone. Mostly auburn skies, back when I was there. I snuck here on a westbound ship. It was cramped, but I stayed idle for most of the trip, so it wasn’t that boring.” 

“Westbound... huh. Then, considering that the only seafront seems to be to the east, we’re probably somewhere in either eastern Asia or Japan.” 

“Meh. Doesn't matter where we are. This is the largest concentration of Machines in the world; I’d have ended up here eventually. And because of the sheer density of Machines, it’s where YoRHa decided to orbit their base. So, where YoRHa goes, I go. It’s where there’s likely to be the most Machines.” 

There was an obvious question there. Why? Why was she so obsessed with killing Machines? Why was she letting this drive her so hard? Why was she letting it consume her? Daniel didn’t ask her any of those questions. He didn’t have the right to drudge up something that was clearly painful for her to remember. 

The conversation died down as they moved through the dunes, not detecting a single disturbance in the sand that they could see, hear, or feel. Jackass’s warning had Daniel slightly unnerved. Sure, they had seemed a little crazy, but who wouldn’t go a little crazy with almost nothing to do out here? Still, their warning, half-hearted though it was, seemed too genuine to not take seriously. That was why he had his Python in his hand, ready to raise it at any Machine that came at them. 

But they weren’t attacked, which seemed... odd. Anemone said that the desert had some of the highest concentrations of Machines within the city limits, but he had yet to see a single spherical head since they’d stepped into the place. 

A few minutes later, they entered a large opening in the stone that surrounded most of the desert. Some bodies that had belonged to Machines littered their path. Their killer was made apparent a few moments later, a humanoid hand sticking out of the sand as they passed, a brief gust of wind covering it further with the sand that surrounded them. A2 strode past it without a second glance. Daniel took a moment to wonder why and how they had died. His hand glided to his sword’s hilt without much thought. He felt guilty. Guilty that he couldn’t have done anything to save them. Some of that guilt was his. 

But some of it wasn’t. 

Ever since he had taken this sword as his own, he had been having strange dreams and odd memories, recalling things he shouldn’t know, seeing things he’d never seen, having feelings that weren’t entirely his. The facts that he knew were this: the memories that he was seeing belonged to an Android called 11B, which meant the rest was probably hers too. She had been teaching another Android how to better defend herself in combat, 16D. Eventually, the two formed a romantic relationship. At one point he’d had a dream that had consisted of the two in bed post coitus. That had been awkward. But another memory that he had seen was her guilt for leaving. Regret, sadness, but just being unable to take any more of this war that she had been fighting for her entire existence. She’d wanted something more, something different. 16D had been that something, for a time. But it hadn’t been enough. In the end... perhaps nothing would’ve been enough to fill that hole in her heart. 

Daniel took himself from the rumination as he pulled the rifle from his back, checking that the scope was aligned as he followed A2 up through the large opening in the stone. He hadn’t told her about what he’d been seeing. She knew that he was human, and she was probably the person that he trusted the most, despite the fact that he didn’t know much about her beyond what she’d already told him. But he didn’t think that she would believe him. Mainly because, if he put himself in her shoes, he probably wouldn’t believe himself either. It was honestly absurd. But the reality was that he was remembering things that he shouldn’t be, and it was getting more and more frequent. Not absurdly so, but slowly. Gradually. He would tell her when he had more concrete proof. It had to be out there somewhere. 

They came to the other end of the opening, and stared out to the view it offered. It a wide space, and the husks of the buildings that lined it were its most prominent landmark. A large basin separated the opening and the apartments, with the structure of a large pipeline stretching between them, peeking out from the sand ever once in a while. At the sides, there were large mounds of collected and that looked to be almost as tall as the buildings themselves, with stone forming a natural wall that slowly sloped off into those same mounds of sand. It was a natural encirclement of a single space, easy to control from an advantageous position like high ground. 

Naturally, it was the perfect place to set an ambush. 

Daniel unfolded the attached bipod from his rifle and set it on the lip of the opening, the pipeline just to his left, as he scanned the surrounding area for Machines. The zoom of the scope let him see quite a distance without blur or loss in clarity, though he kept the weapon’s safety on. There were no Machines on either side of the basin, no ambush or automated traps that would activate when they made their way down. However, he did see some Machines past the apartments, their glowing eyes visible even from this distance. However, while he did notice the eyes, he noticed something odd about these particular Machines. They bore old capes and masks reminiscent of early human civilizations, with their weapons being just as crude as things from that time period, simple things like rough swords that were more like lengths of slightly sharpened metal. It was odd, seeing the Machines in the forest and having that contrasted by most of the Machines he’d come across. 

“What’ve we got?” A2 asked as she crouched next to him, her Type-40 blade at her side. 

“I can see maybe six or seven of ‘em from here. Don’t quite have a clear shot on any of them, though,” Daniel said taking his eye away from the scope. “I think the best bet would be to get to one of those buildings and get me on top of it so that I can cover you while you kill the group before we move further in.” 

“You said six or seven?” 

“At least. There are probably more, I might’ve just missed them.” 

“I can probably handle whatever’s down there by myself. I’ve killed more Machines when I could barely stand.” 

“I would still prefer to be in some kind of position to cover you.” 

“I know but... I can handle this.” 

“I’m not saying you can’t. I’ll be there as a ‘just in case’ option. A lot of stuff can happen in a fight, and I might be better prepared to handle some of those things. Cause... y’know...” he gave an obvious gesture to the rifle. 

A2 gave a reluctant nod. “Alright. Just... don’t' engage them unless you have to. I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

“Yes ‘m-” 

“Don’t!” 

The sudden interruption was enough to startle Daniel mid-response, silencing him as A2’s gaze went to the ground. “Don’t... don’t call me ‘mam. Please.” 

“... okay. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright, just...” A2 trailed off after that. Right. She had been the captain of a squad before her desertion. A chain of command was bound to bring up bad memories, especially if she was in charge. So, he nodded, and the two moved further in towards the complex, sliding down the sands without a sound. 

It took almost five minutes to find a place in a building that gave Daniel a good view of where the Machines were, allowing to both remain out of sight and give A2 cover once the fighting would start. That wasn’t the disturbing part. What disturbed him was where the Machines actually were. It was what was once an inner plaza of four buildings, a small park intended for residents to relax in. A long-dead tree stood in the middle of that place, surrounded by the vestiges of a rusted fence and play equipment, swings and roundabouts and other things of that nature. And the insides of the buildings were just... empty. Deserted. As though someone, or something, had taken everything they could find, nailed down or otherwise, and left the whole place feeling like something was missing. 

Daniel distracted himself with the battle that was about to begin. He’d been right in his assessment; he’d missed many that had been behind the husks of the buildings, upping the total to about nineteen. A2 had shrugged at this amount, considering it little more than a warm-up compared to other groups she had taken care of. Her confidence wasn’t unwarranted either. He had seen her work her way through a rather staggering number of enemies, which sometimes numbered as many as twenty-seven at once. She was approaching them now, her cloak moved behind her shoulders with her sword in her hand. Her hair flowed with the slight wind that made its way through the space as she entered, a cocky smirk on her lips as she twirled her blade with expert dexterity, pointing it at the nearest opponent: a mid-sized Machine with a mask on its face, a cloth around the top of its torso, and a large blade in its own, four-fingered hand. 

“C’mon, you dumbass. Let’s see if you can fight better than those knights in the forest.” 

As though insulted by this comparison, the Machine gave a distorted, but still noticeable, yell as it charged straight for her. Daniel took his sights off of the Machine as it charged, knowing that A2 would be able to handle it with little more than a flick of her wrist. Instead, he turned his attention to the ones further back, a few mid-sized ones and most of the smaller ones. Both wore masks and lengths of the same blue cloth. It was a curious thing, seeing things so advanced acting so... primitive. 

That curiosity left him quickly as he shot one of the smaller ones in the head, causing it to promptly fall over with an internal explosion following the impact. Such questions could wait until both he and A2 were safe from being killed by said Machines. 

A2 stepped through her first kill and went right into combat with the second, parrying a blow aimed at her head and stabbing through the clash to kill her opponent. Daniel took this opportunity to shoot the one coming up behind her in the back of the head, leaving her free to kick one of the smaller ones towards the other approaching group, catching several of the other small Machines with its momentum and taking them to the ground. 

This brief burst of combat was like that, with A2 destroying most of her opponents outright while Daniel shot or incapacitated the ones she was unable to get to. She kicked up dust as she fought, a miniature storm of sand and steel as, one by one, the Machines fell dead. But that didn’t stop Daniel from hearing what the Machines were saying. Especially when he shot them. 

“NO... STOP...” 

**_CRACK!_ ** went the rifle, silencing the Machine mid-speech as he loaded another round. 

“SCARED... SCARY...” 

**_CRACK!_ **

“ANDROIDS... SCARY...” 

**_CRACK!_ **

“RUN... AWAY...” 

**_CRACK!_ **

“RUN... AWAY...” 

**_CRACK!_ **

“RUN... AWAY...” 

**_CRACK!_ **

“NO... STOP... PLE-” 

**_CRACK!_ **

**_CRACK!_ **

**_CRACK!_ **

The last three bullets from the rifle brought silence. The clip was empty. They were designed to hold a lot of bullets, for a rifle of this caliber. Daniel took his eye away from the scope. His stomach felt tight. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the fact that he was using a gun. Maybe it was the fact that it had barely taken more than one or two shots to kill each of the Machines he set his sights on. Maybe it had been the words they’d spoken as they fell, as though begging him to stop. Maybe it was some bizarre combination of all three. Maybe it was none of those things. 

The uncertainty was enough to make him feel sick. 

He took a few, steady breaths as he rose to his feet. He opened his bag, unloaded the empty clip, took a full one from the bag, and slotted it in, loading the first bullet with the sound of metallic clicks as he released the slide. Breathe. In, and out. In, and out. He came here with a purpose. Something had happened here, and he needed to find out what that was. 

Daniel descended from the building with A2 waiting for him, leaning on her downturned sword in front of a few Machine corpses. He didn’t stop to loot their bodies for G parts. He could justify killing the forest Machines; they killed almost everything on sight, including their own kind. Xenophobia at its most basic: fear of those you do not know. The ones in the city hadn’t even attacked him. The one he’d cut down for practice almost had, but it had taken several seconds to process that he was even there. This felt wrong. He wasn’t sure why. 

A2 shrugged as she sheathed her blade, matching him stride for stride. She was unphased at the combat that had occurred. But Daniel continued to mull it over in his head. He knew that the forest Machines spoke, he knew that they served a king of some kind. But these ones seemed to simply try to survive what the world threw at them. This, along with the knowledge of Pascal and his village... there was something more here. Maybe what he was looking for related to it somehow. But he could only hope. 

They turned a corner, and, suddenly, Jackass was proven right as Machines jumped from the sand, with guttural cries that sounded artificial. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He pulled his revolver, and shot the first one he could. Its mask split down the middle where the bullet had passed through the head. A2 caught the second with a kick, and split another in half. 

“Well, I guess she was right. I know that these things can evolve surprisingly fast when it comes to combat, but I wouldn’t have thought of burying myself in the sand,” A2 said. It almost seemed like a compliment. He doubted she would ever give one of those to Machines intentionally, so Daniel let it pass without comment. 

As they moved further in, Daniel felt something at the edge of his hearing. Almost as silent as a whisper, so quiet that he thought he had imagined it for a moment. What convinced him it wasn’t was that it came from further in. From further down. As they traveled the complex, it began to slowly slope down, further and further, until the buildings became tall enough to provide them with shade. This was a well-traveled path. 

There were no other ambushes, no other groups of Machines that awaited them. A2 hadn’t expected that fact. It was putting her on edge. It seemed unusual to Daniel as well. But, he tried to think of it logically. As he was, A2 spoke up. 

“They’re not... there should be more of them out here. There should be more Machines than just one unit at the front and a single group of ambushers after that. It doesn’t... it’s not like them.” 

“... they’re emulating patterns.” 

“What?” 

“Patterns. From what we saw of that first group, this place seems to be pretty tribal. They’re emulating behaviors of the earliest humans. So, considering the fact that something happened here... well, I guess we’ll find the rest sooner or later. And they’ll have protection of some kind.” 

“But how... how would they even have access to that kind of data? Why would they even care about humanity so much? They were made to destroy them, so... why the interest in their enemy?” 

“I don’t know the real answer, but I do have a guess. ‘Know thy enemy.’ The more they know about humanity, they more avenues they have for predicting how they’ll think, how they’ll act. Maybe this is some kind of simulation of a scenario by their network. Maybe they’re trying to understand humans more by reenacting pieces of their history. Maybe they just got bored and decided to try something different.” 

“... but you don’t know.” 

“No. I don’t.” 

_And that’s what’s scaring me._

The path they were walking gradually narrowed, the mounds of sand on either side forming tight walls that would hinder movement. Daniel still had his revolver in his hands. A2 had her sword sheathed. She seemed fairly confidant in her ability to tear through the Machines with her literal bare hands. The confidence, again, was not unwarranted. 

Then, he saw the beams, bent and twisted into odd poles and pillars that lined the sandy wall. He saw the first body there, too. A husk of an Android that had either died long ago or had been stripped of its skin entirely. Both were morbid to think about. He still felt sick either way. Then he saw the second one, slumped against one of the beams that lined the path. His stomach was turning. Nausea was building in the back of his throat, threatening to overtake him and break his composure. He was barely holding it together as it was. 

Then he saw the bodies in piles. Some fell around each other like loose laundry. Others were stacked like cordwood. They had been stripped of almost all of their identifying features. Clothing, weapons, even their skin. Most were feminine, with slender figures, wide hips, and suggestion of breasts at the upper half of the torso. Their muscles seemed taut and hard even now, giving away the fact that they were combat types. A few were semi-masculine. Short, and just as slender as their feminine counterparts, but with no bulk or direct strength. Scanners. All males were Scanners. Each and every one of these bodies had been desecrated. Flayed alive. He wasn’t sure how he knew. But he did. He could almost hear the screams. 

Daniel didn’t bother stopping his body’s reaction to the scene, heaving up his lunch onto the sand. It was disgusting to look at, disgusting to smell, disgusting to think about. But it was better than seeing the bodies. All the bodies. Dozens upon dozens of Androids, each stronger and more capable than him, lay dead at the entrance to this inner chamber. As a warning? As a declaration? As fucking ornaments? They were the only obvious possibilities. And once he was through with his revulsion, he only had one thing left. Anger. Anger that so many had been slain for a purpose he did not know. A purpose he may never know. What he did know was this: these tribal Machines, whatever they were called, whatever they thought of themselves, had killed several dozen Androids, and would go on to kill many, many more if something was not done about them. He could only assume that these had been YoRHa models. Their muscular structure was remarkably similar to A2’s. He did not know many Androids. Not by a long shot. He couldn’t say whether they were all as benevolent as the Resistance, or as militaristic as YoRHa. But the ones who had interacted with him had treated him with kindness. 

But what about Pascal? What about the Pacifist Machines in the village who wanted so desperately not to fight? What about the ones who wandered the city with nothing on their minds? What made them different? Why were they different? He had to know. He _needed_ to know. 

But that was for another time. 

Daniel’s face turned cold as he looked to A2. She was staring at the bodies. Her hands were twitching, undecided in whether they wanted to grip her sword or form fists. Her jaw was clenched, and her eyes almost glowed blue with her anger; her fury. She met his gaze. In that moment, he thought he saw another piece of her. The allies she’d lost. The heartbreak she’d suffered. He didn’t know the full story. She would have to tell him in her own time. But right now, in this moment, they both had the same thought. Whatever this place was, whatever it once may have been... it was too dangerous to leave unattended anymore. 

Daniel clicked back the hammer of his revolver as A2 drew her sword. They moved, slowly, towards the entrance of the Machine tribe’s central place. 

Then, he stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, sticking up from the sand, was a most unusual thing. It was a blocky thing, rectangular in frame, and entirely black in its coloration. It seemed that way, at least. He couldn’t see most of its body; that had been buried by the sand. But he had seen something similar before, when he had met 2B and 9S. A Pod. A dead husk of an old Pod. Curious and confused, he signaled for A2 to stop. Though she was reluctant, she took a brief moment to wait by the entrance. He walked over, and picked the thing out of the sand by its rectangular body. It was intact, with both arms still attached to its body. Then he noticed the green accents. Not gold, not red, not even a chrome or silver coloration, just... green. Green like a thick forest. 

He turned it over, and saw what Pods 042 and 153 would call their designations. 007. An earlier model, then? But it seemed so advanced! Did it not come with benefits like those odd gravity rings? Were there features of the newer Pods he didn’t know about besides their basic artillery capabilities? Could this thing potentially be repaired, giving insight into YoRHa and their plans? 

But he knew what he was really doing. Distracting himself. Stalling for time. He didn’t want to do what they’d decided on. It was going to be a slaughter. It wasn’t going to be pretty. Or remotely pleasant. But it needed to be done. As much as he hated thinking about it, it needed to be done. So, he stuffed the Pod in his bag, and followed A2 the rest of the way inside, his revolver drawn, his face hardening once more. 

The entry tunnel was dark. Very dark. He almost tripped a couple of times, though A2 managed to catch him before he fell on his face. Then, once they were through the long, winding place that was that tunnel, they came to the other side. Machines, packed in like canned food, barely able to move more than a few steps before bumping into someone. It was a vast space, but with so many Machines, it seemed somehow smaller than it truly was. 

Daniel once again flipped down the bipod on his rifle and found a place to snipe from: a small outcropping that gave a view of most of the battlefield. He glanced briefly back to A2, who had her sword at the ready, waiting for his signal to go. He gave her a firm nod that he wasn’t entirely confident in. Whatever their plan would’ve been, it was going to have the same blueprint: she would handle the majority of the enemies, and he would handle the stragglers and distract the larger Machines. 

Then, with that settled, the fighting began. 

*** 

A2 began the fight rather simply: by skewering one of the mid-sized Machines through the core to catch two of the smaller ones in the head. Overall, it was a rather simple maneuver. Daniel began shooting Machines towards the edge of the space, ensuring that none of them would be able to get through any hidden escapes without getting through him. That was her que to go wild on the majority. She’d hoped that she wouldn’t have to use this module too much, especially in front of Daniel. It wasn’t pretty, and it hurt like hell to use even if you were prepared. But, with this many Machines in front of her, she needed... an edge. 

So, with a quick breath, and sudden tension in her muscles, she gave a yell of exertion as she swept her sword in a sudden circle, slicing several Machines in half. Her attack trailed red after-images. B-Mode, or as Number 4 had taken to calling it, Berserk Mode, had been activated. 

A2’s once blank face became a mix of satisfaction and discomfort. She threw herself at the Machines, large and small, as Daniel continued to rain down covering fire. With a few clean sweeps of her blade, she had cleared her way to one of the larger Machines, which looked down at her for only a single moment before its eyes turned a sudden red. That intimidation factor was neutralized rather quickly when its head was grazed by a sniper bullet. A2’s expression shifted to a smirk. 

She leapt straight up from the ground, trailing red after images, and brought her sword down hard and fast. It bit into the metal of the large Machine’s body, but it didn’t go through all the way. Even with vibration-enhancements on their blades, it was very difficult to cut through the large Machines in singular strokes. B-Mode helped with that immensely. With another yell of exertion, she pressed the sword deeper in, seeing it cut through wires and oil lines as she dragged the sword back down to the ground. The large Machine had been cut in half, from right shoulder to left hip, catching fire as it fell in two. 

B-Mode wouldn’t last for long. It had its advantages: her speed, strength, reaction time, and pain tolerance were all exponentially increased while she used it. It made her theoretically invincible. But it came with one extreme downside: B-Mode wasn’t good for her body, actively taking power away from some of her vital systems in order to keep running past a certain point. With the new parts that Daniel had helped her install, that point would probably be a little further off. She just hoped that B-Mode didn’t short out on her. As far as she knew, hers might be the only one of its kind left. There were no replacements. 

She turned from the bisected Machine and went to task on the others that had gathered behind her, becoming less like a combat Android and more like a blur of red steel and death. The Machines were gradually getting easier and easier to cut through. At the same time, she could feel B-Mode draining her power, bit by bit. As she sliced through the Machines, she felt her arms weaken. As she kicked one mid-sized Machine into another, she felt the jolt that it sent up her leg through her sensory circuits. She could barely hear the shots from Daniel’s sniper rifle anymore. 

A large fist of a large Machine thudded next to her, almost causing her to lose her balance and topple over. Then, it did something unexpected. It lifted its hand over her, and went for something she couldn’t see. She didn’t have to see what it was to know that they were going after Daniel. She wasn’t about to let them kill the only person she’d started to care about in years. Not again. 

With a few quick steps off of the wall of the space, her hair whipping behind her, A2 leapt towards the arm and kicked it away from Daniel’s position. His cloak was still on, with his bag to the side, and he was in the middle of backing away from the edge of the outcropping while reloading his rifle. Though he did manage to get the clip in, he also saw that he wasn’t going to be able to make much use of it from this range. He muttered a curse to himself as he pulled his revolver and shot it six times in rapid succession, shattering both of its eyes and causing it to give an ear-splitting, artificial wail of pain. A2 took that opportunity to jump onto its chest and kick it onto its back, where it promptly destroyed most of the remaining Machines beneath it. 

A2 let go of B-Mode as she let her circuits recover. This tired ache was one she’d felt often enough, after a hard fight. She thought humans called it ‘soreness.’ Still, it wouldn’t stop her from killing the last of the Machines down there. She looked at Daniel, who seemed a bit shaken up, but otherwise fine. He put his revolver back in his holster and drew his sword from his hip. Though she loathed doing this, though she had given him the right to command, she wasn’t about to let her apprehension to leadership get him killed. So, she gave him some instruction. 

“You stay close behind me, alright? Only strike out when you know you can either cripple or kill a Machine without getting hurt too severely.” 

“Got it,” Daniel said, gripping his sword steadily in both hands. 

Then, she went back down, and Daniel followed. The Machines that were left were all of mid-level size, and they all had weapons. Most were armed with crude swords, but two held large single-bladed axes with large, flat heads. She’d have to take those ones out ASAP. 

Then, one of the sword bearers came charging at her, sword upraised. She caught the strike with her heeled foot – these things were ridiculously durable – and twisted her body to wrench its arm fully out of its socket before cutting it in half. Another had decided to join its comrade, but quickly found itself on the defensive when Daniel came running toward it. He didn’t manage to get the hit in, clashing with the Machine and catching it off balance, but he quickly broke from that clash with a swift duck, and cut straight through the center of its torso. Though he hadn’t struck it in half, as she would’ve, he had managed to strike the core straight through the middle. A2 felt a bit of pride at his victory. Though he was far from a swordsman, and she would’ve rather given him more practical lessons before this point, Daniel was still doing very well for his skill level. 

That didn’t stop her from blocking two strikes from the other sword-wielding Machines. He was still human, and she could take far heavier hits than he could. She then swept those same swords up, clearing the way to cleave the two Machines in half. A click alerted her before a loud crack rang through the area. Daniel had taken the opportunity to reload his revolver, and had shot one of the Machines through the eye, which caused an explosion that caught another of the Machines off balance. A2 wasted no time in capitalizing, tripping it onto its back before plunging her blade into its chest, straight through the core. 

Another crack rang out from Daniel’s revolver, the shot going straight through another eye. The result was the same as it had been before, and the last of the sword wielders were dead. The two axe wielders stood before her, eyes glowing a steady, ever-present red. They hadn’t moved the entire battle. Had they been trying to get some kind of a read on her as she’d been fighting? If there was one thing that Machines seemed to be any good at, it was combat. Not as good as her, but still quite good. That wouldn’t save them from their fates. 

A2 gestured for Daniel to hang back. Reluctantly, he nodded, his brown hair somewhat disheveled from the heat of the desert and the recent bouts of combat. She’d have to help him cut it later. Her hair had never been a problem for her, but it might be a nuisance for him. Then, she went into the fray. 

The soreness from her use of B-Mode and the extended fighting was showing its toll now, in the fact that she blocked the first of the axe-wielder’s blows and it took all the strength in her legs to not be sent flying. What the fuck?! She managed to recover by narrowly bending back, allowing the axe to sail over her form and cut a few stray lengths of her hair. She hadn’t really needed to fight after using B-Mode before; it was often the thing that ended fights. It had kept her alive for most of this one, but she usually needed some time to recover after the fact. 

This didn’t change the fact that she could still win the fight. She just needed to be a bit more careful in her approach. So, with grace afforded only to a combat Android, she slipped by its overhead strike at where she had been standing half a moment before, and cut deep into the metal, striking the core. Always strike for the core. Never leave them that chance to recover. 

Then, as the second came up from behind, her legs spasmed, and locked up. Shit. Had her pain sensors been that dulled? B-Mode wasn’t active, but it did have some side-effects that lasted for a while after she used it. Shit. Had she misjudged her own damage? She could take the hit, but it would hurt like hell- 

_**CRACK!** _

_**CRACK!** _

_**CRACK!** _

Three shots came from Daniel’s revolver, two hitting the second axe-wielding Machine in the side of the head before the third grazed its eye, causing a slight crack. It was distracted. That gave A2 the perfect chance to stand back up, grab the first one’s admittedly heavy axe, and slam it straight into the second axe-wielder, killing it instantly. 

A2 breathed a sigh of relief. Though her pain was dulled for the moment, it didn’t mean that she was uninjured. She slumped down against the corpse of one of her now dead foes. There were so many bodies in this space. Forty? Fifty? Maybe more? She wasn’t sure. But she did know that they were dead, and she and Daniel were not. For that, she was immensely grateful. 

“You okay?” Daniel asked, making his way over to her. He put a worried hand on her shoulder as he holstered his gun once again. She would’ve taken it off and told him that she was fine. This would’ve only made him more worried. He didn’t need to do that. 

“I’ll be okay in a minute. Haven't had to fight that many in... well, a long fucking time. Just let me take a minute, and I’ll be back on my feet in no time. Go ahead and take a look around. You’d probably be better at it than I’d be, anyway.” 

“A2-” 

“I’ll be okay, D. Really.” She meant it, too. She wasn’t going to leave him alone. Who else was she going to talk to? 

So, though he was hesitant, Daniel nodded, drawing his sword as he stood and stepped around the bodies of the Machines, his gaze slowly scanning every detail of the space. A2 then turned her attention to the scenery. The walls of the space seemed to be oddly formed. There were pieces of buildings sticking out of the stone, as though they had been stuck there for tens of thousands of years. That was an oddity that she picked up on almost immediately. The basic structure would suggest that it was from the same time period as all of the other buildings she had seen around the city, and yet... here some were, stuck in stone. It was bizarre. 

Then, there was a brief flash of light at the edge of her vision. She turned around to see its source, and, instead, saw Daniel toppling over from a kneeling position as he had tried to grab something. Shit! Despite her body’s protests, she leapt from her sitting position and ran to Daniel’s side, skidding to a stop alongside him before checking for a heartbeat. It was steady and strong. He was still breathing, though the pattern suggested unconsciousness; she’d taken note of his different breathing patterns when it came to being awake and being asleep. 

Then, she saw his still open eyes. They were full, and they were white. No pupils, no iris, no indication of a normal eyeball. Pure, iridescent white. This wasn’t some Machine virus, or YoRHa hacking, or anything that she had any real knowledge of. This was something foreign. It terrified her. 

As she began to comb through her mind for a way to help Daniel, she heard the sounds of moving Machines. Newcomers, every one of them. None of the Machines originally in the room had managed to come out with their cores intact; she’d made damn certain of that. Still, this was a bad situation. Daniel was unconscious for an unknown reason, and she was still recovering from using B-Mode only a few minutes earlier. The Machines coming towards them wouldn’t give them the courtesy of a break. If they had, YoRHa would’ve won the war the first time around. She could still fight. So, she would fight. 

A2 pulled herself up on shaky legs, her sword held tight in her hand as she shifted into a combat stance. She wasn’t going to let them get to Daniel. They would not pass while she lived. If she had to take them down with her, she would. 

So, with a tight jaw and a tighter smile, A2 stepped forward to fight for their survival. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know that some of you are brimming with questions. Some of them will be answered next chapter. Others will be answered later on. So, anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! I'll see you next time!


	6. Suspicion and Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel manifests power and pays for it, A2 is bewildered and battered on all sides, and a simple box contains within itself the first hints of something unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to 2021! Now that we're officially through the dumpster-fire of a year known as 2020, I hope that this Chapter finds you healthy and, hopefully, somewhat optimistic. If not the last one, I get it. It's been pretty rough lately. But you're not here to get depressed about real life! At least, I hope not. That'd be an awkward conversation. So, before this gets any more awkward: without further ado, I present to you all Chapter 6 of a se[A] of memories. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

Daniel hadn’t said anything as he fell. In fact, he hadn’t made a sound at all. He had knelt over to examine an odd piece of... something. Of an egg. Or a cocoon. Or a womb. Whatever had been here before those Machines had cleared the wreckage, something had been born here. Something different. Something dangerous. He wasn’t sure how, or why, he knew this. He could hear whispers on the air, making him sure of that fact. These whispers were neither malicious, nor particularly benevolent. They were objective and factual, like logic given a proper voice. 

Then, he had touched the object. _Suddenly, he was not kneeling above the object of his interest. Instead, he saw, from an outside, almost spectral perspective, what it had once been. Two humanoid beings, both with white hair and black uniforms that he quickly recognized as the Androids 2B and 9S, had been killing Machines. Machines that had been attempting to... well... procreate, in a literal sense. The Machines were attempting to create a life by their own choice, despite being completely and utterly unable to conceive in any way that most forms of life had managed._

_But as the two Androids killed more and more of them, one phrase became repeated. It was a chant. A war_ _hymn_ _. A declaration._

_“THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE._

_“THIS!_

_“CANNOT!_

_“CONTINUE!”_

_It was so loud that he felt the urge to cover his ears, to spare them from the cacophony of noise and desperation so clear in their voices, despite their artificiality and lack of emotion. The pace of it, the repetition, the quiet, unspoken fear, it was all in the hopes that something would change, that they would not be like this forever. Then, they stopped. For a few blessed moments, nothing moved._

_It started up as quickly as it had ended. Over and over, every last Machine left in the space chanted it. They clutched their spherical heads as though in pain. They had no faces, no way to express what it was they felt, the only thing close to that being the blinking golden light of their eyes. Then, they started moving, climbing over each other, one by one, until they created something from their bodies. Something that they could otherwise not make alone. A spherical shape stitched together from all of their bodies, their entire beings given over to this singular purpose: a new life._

_The insides of the sphere glowed a steady white, and pulsed at least once a second. Like a heartbeat. Then, slowly, it began to open, sending out something entirely different from what had just created it. It appeared to have a masculine body structure, with defined muscles and a tall frame, but was as naked as a newborn child, with no genitals whatsoever. It – no,_ he _\- had long white hair that trailed down to the sandy ground upon which he stood himself up, covering parts of his body and obscuring one of his eyes. The one that could be seen was unnatural, almost crimson, red. Like blood._

_The space flickered, and Daniel saw the scene change. He knew that a battle had taken place, and could recall some broad strokes details, but he had been skipped to this moment in particular. 9S had skewered the Machine-born entity through the back with his gold and black katana, right between his ribs, and 2B quickly capitalized and did the same with her own white blade, stabbing him straight through where his heart would be,_ _were_ _he a human._

_They removed their swords from the entity simultaneously, and he collapsed to the ground as red liquid pooled from his wounds onto the sand. A few moments later, a hand emerged from the wounds, wreathed in strings of odd light, as though it were ripping itself from the body of the first entity. The second entity dug itself from the ribs of its brother, almost an exact copy in every way one could imagine. Despite this, as he emerged and cradled his sibling, something about it seemed... different. Protective, even. It glared at the two Androids even as the space seemed to collapse around them. They took little notice of this, and turned from the two opponents, carrying its sibling in its arms to a place that he could recover from his wounds._

Then, the vision was gone, and faded away into motes of white light. For a few moments, Daniel was caught in an odd, grey space. An endless expanse of nothing. Despite the fact that he had never seen it before, it felt familiar. And not in the way that the feelings of 11B had bled over into his own. There was no flash, no whisper, no faint sense of wrongness, nothing of the sort. This familiarity belonged to _him_ , and him alone. He had been here. But how? Why? 

He blinked, and he was suddenly on his back, blinking away sand that had been kicked up from a nearby battle. Daniel felt groggy, and tired, as though he had just been roused from a deep, dreamless sleep, though he couldn’t have been unconscious for more than a minute or so. What the hell had happened to him? And what the fuck did he just see? 

These questions were immediately pushed to the back of his mind when he saw what was happening just in front of him. A2 was cutting through Machine after Machine as they charged straight for her. Despite the fact that they had quite the numbers advantage, and the fact that she had been taking a rest the last time he’d seen her, she was still fighting like hell, moving so fast that, if it wasn’t for the lack of red-tinted after images, he’d have thought she was using that ability of hers again. She wasn’t. This was A2 fully unleashed. No special abilities. No sniper to back her up. Just her. She made the act of fighting, of enacting violence, look beautiful. It was a strange thing to think about, in that moment. 

But, like moments often did, it passed, and Daniel suddenly became aware of his body again as adrenaline dragged him to full wakefulness. He quickly stood up, and checked himself for his weapons. He still had his rifle on him, but he wouldn’t be able to make proper use of it from this range. It required distance for the bullets to have their maximum effect. His revolver was still in its holster, but there were no bullets left in it. By the time he would finish reloading, the entire battle may have changed in its scope. That left one option. His sword. 

He drew the curved blade from his side, gripping it with both hands as he remembered what A2 had taught him. It wasn’t much beyond the most basic of basic swordsmanship, but it was adequate enough to keep him alive. Yet, despite his inexperience, he somehow felt more comfortable with the blade than he had been before. It felt right in his hands, giving it a slight flourish that would’ve cleaned the sword of blood or oil, if such things had been on the blade. 

Then, with a confidence in his swordplay that he’d not had before, he stepped forward, narrowly avoided a blow from one of the Machines that had noticed him stepping closer, and slipped into their guard, cutting through it in one sword stroke. 

A2 noticed him then, surprise evident on her face. She didn’t tell him to leave; she seemed to notice the way he was carrying himself, blocking a blow from a Machine and allowing Daniel to stab it through the core. He then twisted his blade and struck out in a fashion that he had often seen from A2: a horizontal crescent stroke that cut through two other Machines that had begun dashing for them. 

From there, the fight came and went like a dream. When Daniel moved, it felt like the instincts he used and the techniques he remembered weren’t his own. More than likely, they belonged to 11B. Actually... no, they didn’t just belong to her. Hers were the most prominent and recognizable instincts; he was using her blade and had actually seen her memories, after all, but they weren’t the only ones he felt guiding him. A parry and stab came from a young man in a green pass nestled inside a range of mountains. A front kick and beheading blow came from a scantily clothed woman with a flower instead of an eye. And a set of three sweeping, heavy blows came from a man who traded his voice to ride a dragon. 

More and more and more came flooding into him, guiding him, aiding him, to the point that he didn’t know where the memories stopped and his own body began. As though to make the distinction clear, Daniel looked briefly at his body, only to be surprised by something entirely unexpected. He was covered, head to toe, with a dull, whiteish grey glow. It wasn’t all that bright, nor did it distract from combat, but it was clear that the glow and whatever allowed him to access memories were, at the very least, correlated. He pushed it to the back of his mind as he leapt over a heavy blow from an axeman and cleaved it in half, from head to lower torso. Such things were for when he was out of combat and could properly think about his situation. 

A2 was having little trouble with the ones that continued to assail her, using both her superior combat experience and expert swordplay to cut most of them in half in single strokes. A few of them seemed to be a bit wiser than the others, but they were no less dead when she struck them down. She kicked, stabbed, sliced and smashed with all the grace and furious might of a combat Android, a manic smile slowly spreading across her lips as she fought. When a brief moment passed that allowed her to taunt a few of the enemies, they charged her all at once. In a frenzy of movement that lasted only a single second, she killed all of the ones who charged her, cut to bits and spraying oil like blood across the sandy ground. Her eyes flickered to him, as though she had just noticed that he seemed to have a dull glow about him. Her smile remained, strained further and further as the fight continued, but her eyes seemed briefly curious before she returned to the task at hand. She’d seemed tired before, but now she seemed to be pushing past her limits. They had to end this fight soon. 

A few moments later, A2 and Daniel were back-to-back, staring down the faceless hoard that surrounded them on all sides. He turned to look at her, and she did the same. They were both tired. Daniel was sweating profusely from the fighting, and A2 seemed even more worn out than she had before. Their cloaks had more noticeable cuts and holes in them, and Daniel’s own muscles, despite their fitness, were beginning to feel sore. After a few seconds of tense waiting, they nodded. 

Then, they kicked off from each other, Daniel taking one half that surrounded them while A2 took the other. He cut through a swordsman before leaping onto the outstretched shaft of a spear that had been aiming to skewer him, shifting the momentum into a second set of those wide, heavy strikes that cut through almost eight Machines before he kicked the spear-wielder in the face, leaving a sizable indent of his shoe in its metal. He felt so strong! God, this was a rush! A rush! 

With wild abandon, Daniel flipped his blade into a reverse grip and punched a Machine, launching its head clean off its torso. He reached out with his left hand and ripped an arm from its socket, and beat the Machine until black oil ran from every opening. It took less time than he thought it would, only a second or two. Now, he had two weapons. Though, that was quickly rectified when he threw the arm at another Machine before stabbing it through the chest. He felt himself smile through the combat, felt the glow around him, surrounding him like armor. He felt invincible. That feeling, so amorphous and evasive of proper description, was headier than any drug that could possibly exist. 

Then, one final time, he pulled back his right fist, blade still gripped in reverse, and felt the glow condense and thicken on his cocked hand. Then, he launched his fist forward in a straight jab, right into the torso of the last Machine in front of him. It connected, metal giving way to the whitish-grey light that enveloped his fist, bending and cracking and breaking all at once before the machine was flung backward into the far wall. A large indent was made as it impacted the wall, a splatter of dark oil outlining it in a morbid fashion. Daniel felt quite satisfied. 

He turned to A2, and quickly saw that she had taken the half that had far more experienced Machines within it. Many were far more worn and scratched than the ones that he had been dealing with, while other sported a color scheme that was antithetical to the desert coloration: red and black in sections that resembled stripes. Some wielded weapons. Others used their fists. None were larger than a mid-level Machine. All of them were deadly. 

A2 had killed almost ten of the red and black ones in the time that it had taken Daniel to kill his half of the group, with various other Machines of the normal coloration surrounding them. If he included the red and black ones into his estimations, he probably would’ve only been able to kill half of that in the time that had elapsed, even with this sudden surge of power. She blocked one heavy blow from an axeman with her blade, then used the momentum to launch herself foot-first into another red and black Machine, tucking her feet in before springboarding off of the thing, sending it into the far wall and her straight towards the axeman, who she promptly beheaded. A2 then flipped, her wild white hair surrounding her in a halo of motion, and landed on her feet just in time to block a sword blow from another red and black Machine. It pressed down on her, pushing her deeper into the ground, forcing her to bend her knees to keep from falling down completely. Her teeth were bared in a defiant snarl, her eye just as furious as the look on her face suggested. 

Then another Machine came up behind her. She didn’t have time to react. She couldn’t move. Daniel had a chance. But that chance was slipping through his grasp as time seemed to slow for this one moment. His rifle was slung over his back, and, though loaded, would take too long to use. His revolver was in its holster, but it was devoid of bullets, and would take too long to reload. All that left was his sword. His useless, close-ranged goddamn sword. What the fuck was he supposed to do from here?! Throw the fucking thing?! If he didn’t have a solution _now_ , A2 was going to die! ****

**_“Calm yourself. I’ll handle this.”_ **

Then, in a motion so sudden he almost missed it, a featureless humanoid composed entirely of whitish-grey light appeared above A2, a large, curved blade raised above its head. Then, they dropped down, sword in hand, as it cut the red and black Machine down the middle. For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, time seemed to catch up to the blow, and the Machine spurted oil along where it had been struck in a gout, covering the sand with even more robotic gore than it had been before. The two remaining Machines shifted their focus from A2 to the new figure wreathed in whitish-grey. The figure moved then, faster than Daniel could see, and cut the two horizontally across their midsections. As before, a moment came, and as before, nothing happened. They both toppled over in two pieces when it passed, their eyes dull, and they moved no more. 

The figure stood to its full height. If it had been what had spoken to Daniel, then it was certainly masculine, and its general frame supported this, with broad shoulders and a lean bearing. It had the suggestion of shoulder-length hair, but other than that, the outline, and the massive curved sword in its hand, there was no suggestion of who this was, if it even had a name to go by. In place of its face, there was one distinct feature. A blank, white facemask, covering everything from the hairline to the chin. The texture was that of unpainted wood, and it seemed to almost... be a part of the thing. Like this mask had been seamlessly made to be worn by it. 

It – no _he_ ; why did this keep happening? – pointed its sword towards the edge of the wall of the space. Daniel let his gaze follow it, and A2 did the same. Where he pointed, there was a small grey box against the wall, half-buried by the sand. Though dark oil had spilt around it, it seemed to be... protected. A small radius around the thing was entirely untouched and unblemished. A small section of perfectly flat sand, with the box at its center. 

“That... that wasn’t there before,” A2 said. 

“You’re sure?” 

“Pretty sure we’d have noticed something like that once we cleared out the first set of Machines.” 

“Fair point.” 

The whitish-grey figure gave a bow as he faded away into motes of light. But those strings of iridescence didn’t just fade away into the wind. They faded back to _Daniel_. From whence they had come. And when the strings faded back into him, the glow stopped, and Daniel’s body lost all strength to keep itself upright. He collapsed to his knees, his lungs suddenly burning as though he’d run a marathon, his arms, legs, stomach; all of his muscles burned as though he had been moving for days on end without stopping for a single moment. It hurt. By every god of every religion that had ever existed, it hurt so fucking much. 

_Stop._

_Stop!_

_Make it stop!_

_Make it stop!_

_MAKE!_

_IT!_

_STOP!_

The world suddenly came back into focus, snapping him back into his own body as the pain slowly began to lessen in intensity. Daniel gave long, heavy breaths, barely supporting his own weight on hands and knees. Something warm ran down his face and dripped onto the sand. It was red. A deep, crimson red. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. 

Daniel almost didn’t feel A2’s hand on his back. Though it caused him some pain, Daniel turned his head up to look at her. While she didn’t seem erratic or flustered, she did seem very worried as she wiped the trail of blood droplets away from his eyes. Oh god, had he been bleeding from his eyes?! Daniel quickly took out a spare cloth and one of the canteens, dabbed some water onto it, and quickly began washing his face of red. It turned out that he hadn’t just been bleeding from his eyes for those few brief moments; he’d also been bleeding from his nose and his ears. Shit. No wonder there was so much blood on the sand. 

“You good, D? You went down earlier, and then those fucking Machines stormed in, and I... you scared me there.” 

“I’m... good enough, I suppose,” Daniel said as he wiped away the last of the blood, leaning into a proper sitting position. “Anyway, I think we’ll have to get rid of this thing. Can’t have YoRHa coming to look for me because they’ve got my blood.” 

“... yeah,” A2 said, clearly hesitant to ask something. She took a quick, steadying breath, and asked, “What the hell happened there? You sorta pitched over, and you were alive, but... your eyes... they were just _gone_.” 

“Gone?” 

“Full gone. No iris, no pupil, just... blank slates of grey-white.” 

“I’m... I’m really not sure you’ll believe me. I can hardly believe it myself.” 

“D, I just saw you punch a Machine in the chest so hard that you broke solid metal and launched it into the fucking wall.” She pointed to the still present indent to emphasize her point. “I think it’s safe to say that we’re far from even the most remote territory of potential normality. Unless humans could actually do this, back when you were alive?” 

“Hah! No. God, no. If we could, we’d at least have been able to counteract Legion’s superior numbers with... whatever the fuck this is. 

“... I’m not really sure how to explain it. I don’t have much of a frame of reference for any of it. But... well, it started with this thing.” Daniel began, lifting his blade for emphasis. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the blade itself. But after I got it, I started having these... _dreams_. At first, I didn’t really think much of it. I was in a completely different time, of course I’d have some odd dreams. Then it started happening night after night, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.” 

“So... that one unit you were asking about before, 11B? She was the Android who used that sword before you did?” 

“Yeah. I didn’t make out a whole lot, at first. I did know that she was usually helping someone practice, in the dreams I saw. A defensive unit that she was … particularly fond of.” 

. 

.. 

… 

“... when you say that she was ‘fond’ of this defensive unit...?” 

“They were in love. And they fucked. They fucked _a lot_.” 

A2 gave a confused look at that. “Isn’t sex something normal for humans?” 

“Yeah, kinda. Not everyone was keen on it, but it does happen in most relationships. Just... not usually that much. Then again, I’m not really an expert. I wasn’t ever in an actual relationship before I died.” 

“But... no, no, I’ll save those questions for later, I’m getting off-topic,” A2 said as she shook her head of cobwebs. “How the hell are you seeing these memories anyway? And the way you fought earlier... I’ve _never_ seen you fight like that. That was way too advanced to be consistent with your current skill level.” 

“I think it was another thing to do with whatever’s showing me memories. I don’t really understand a lot of this myself. It’s... fuck, I can’t even begin to think of how this is even possible. The memories, the weird light, the fact that I punched that Machine into the wall; they shouldn’t be connected. But they are. I feel impulses, remember things, have these moments of deja vu, and _none of it is mine_. It’s... it’s fucking terrifying.” 

“... yeah. I can’t really disagree with you on that. But we don’t know anything right now. So, be very, _very_ careful, but... let’s play it by ear. Learn what we can. I’m... not great at keeping track of stuff, so that might be on you for the most part. But I can help you with the combat stuff. And hey, if this memory stuff was what helped you out in combat, then I can still help you practice. Right?” 

“I... yeah, that sounds good. Like I said, I have no idea how any of this works. Or why that guy kinda just... appeared, at the end of the fight.” 

“That _was_ really weird, huh? It’s like, one minute, I’m there with both hands on my sword, and I actually thought I was about to die there for a few seconds, and then he just jumps down and cuts through the Machines like they’re made of cheap polyfiber.” 

“Poly... what?” 

“Y’know. Polyfiber. What’d you think YoRHa made their uniforms out of?” 

“I didn’t really think to ask myself that question.” 

“Neither did I. But I can’t get it out of my head. Literally, this bullshit was programmed into me so that I knew what materials to use for ‘proper uniform maintenance’ or whatever the fuck they called it.” 

“That does not sound pleasant.” 

“It’s really not. I mean, it’s nice to be unable to forget some things, but I really, really hate consistently being reminded of them with all the fucking programs I still have. Urgh.” 

Daniel gave a small, mirthless laugh. It was weird. Talking to someone had genuinely calmed him down. It was very unusual for him. But, then again, he was in a very unusual situation. He was in the aftermath of a large fight that he had actively participated in, and he’d personally destroyed a large portion of the Machines that had attacked them, though A2 had him beat in total destruction. 

“Actually... did you see anything? While you were out?” A2 asked. 

Solemnly, Daniel gave her a firm nod. “... something was born here. The Machines created this giant ball thing out of their own bodies. It was... it was like they were trying to make something. A life. A life that would be _different_ . It looked kinda like an Android, at first glance, but its eyes... fuck, its eyes were so _unnatural_ . Just... I can’t really say how or why, but it just seemed so... alien. It fought against some Androids who were here, and it just kept getting smarter and smarter; it was evolving while it fought them, and it was learning so fucking fast. It didn’t learn fast enough, though, because it got run through. Then another one came out of the wounds and just... _left_ . It _just fucking left_ while the original structure collapsed around all of them.” 

A2 suddenly looked deeply, deeply troubled. Like she had been reminded of something terrible. But she didn’t elaborate, instead standing up and offering him a hand. “If they’re Machine-made, then they’re probably still around this city in some capacity. If that’s the case, we’ll probably run into them eventually. Anyway, we should grab whatever’s in that box and get the hell out of here before more Machines decide to come barreling in.” 

Daniel took it, and was immediately pulled to his feet. “Agreed. This place is seriously creeping me out after what I saw from before.” 

“Yeah. This place... it just doesn’t seem natural. How the hell are there buildings trapped in stone?” 

“I was thinking that too! It shouldn’t be a thing!” 

“And yet here we are, standing in the middle of it.” 

A moment later, Daniel was in front of the box. It was as he had seen it before: colored a grey that reminded him of the glow that had surrounded him during the fight a few minutes earlier, though it seemed more metallic. It was roughly the size of a thick book, and when he picked it up, it seemed neither too heavy nor to light. The texture of the box was that of smooth metal, which explained the grey sheen, and there was a faint symbol on its face. It was faded, so faded that Daniel just barely noticed it, but he felt the beginnings of an engraved symbol on it, in the general shape of a ring, though he couldn’t see the finer details of it. 

He opened the box slowly and deliberately, as though it might contain a bomb or a particularly nasty creature, like a scorpion or a snake. But, to his relief, there was no creature in the box, living or dead. The interior was the same as the exterior: a grey, metallic sheen that didn’t reflect the sunlight. What was inside was eternally confusing. Only two items, each incredibly simple in their make. A small, folded piece of slightly yellowed paper tucked into one corner was the first. The second was much larger, taking up most of the space within. It was reminiscent of the mask the summoned figure had been wearing: pure white, with the texture of carved wood, and entirely blank and featureless. Yet despite its similarity to the first mask, it also seemed distinct, in its own way. A way that Daniel couldn’t see, but somehow felt. 

A2 looked over his shoulder, and immediately saw the box’s contents. “Like this day wasn’t freaky enough already... you think this is a trap?” 

“If it is, then it’s an awfully convoluted one.” 

She nodded at that. “Fair enough. So, you gonna read what that says or what?” 

Daniel promptly plucked the piece of paper from the corner of the box and unfolded it. It was a short five words with a single letter as the only evidence of its writer, and was done in quick, somewhat blocky penmanship. But he could read it nonetheless. He could read it easily. After all, it was in English. That was disturbing in and of itself. But even more powerful than his sense of disturbance was his confusion at the words themselves. He read them aloud, both for A2’s benefit and an extension of his confusion. 

“ For the one who rebels. – A. ” 

“... is it for you?” 

Daniel gave a sharp chortle at that. “No. If it is, they certainly don’t have me down right. I wasn’t that rebellious, back before I got infected. I mean, there was a time in my life where I was just a dumbfuck kid who was figuring himself out, but it doesn’t exactly make me special in that regard. And I’m not exactly rebelling against anything here. Not unless the Machines count, which I doubt. Honestly, I think it might be for you.” 

“Er... why?” 

“Well, you deserted YoRHa because of your disagreement on their ethics, right? So, you would technically be fit into the role of ‘the one who rebels.’ Certainly more than I would, anyway.” 

It was A2’s turn to laugh. “I can see your reasoning, but I’m not putting that thing on. It’s just... why is it just a mask with nothing else on it? Could’ve at least put in some eyeholes so that the person who’s wearing it can... y’know, _see what they’re doing_. Besides, it looks similar to that mask the guy was wearing earlier. I’m glad he saved my life, but after what happened toward the end of it, I do not trust that... whatever the hell he is until we know more.” 

“So... hold onto it just in case?” 

“Sounds good to me.” 

With that, Daniel packed away the box in his bag, with the mask and the slip of paper still held within, and joined A2 at the entrance, glad to finally be free of this harrowing place. Despite its relative danger, Daniel genuinely couldn’t wait to be back to the familiarity of the forest, with its numerous boars, moose, and murderous xenophobic Machines who donned the visages of knights. Compared to this place, it sounded like paradise. Almost a little bit like home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. Not much to say at the end. I understand that most of you have questions, but please have patience. I don't want to play my cards too early. But that's it for this one! I hope you all enjoyed! If you have any criticism or questions, please leave a comment if you're up to it! Have a good day, and I'll see you guys next time!


	7. Plots and Pods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a portion of the city is swallowed, and Daniel and A2 begin to search for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this one actually got out in a timely fashion! Sorry this took a bit longer than normal. It's not as long as I thought it would be, but I think it's pretty good, for what it is. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

Daniel had been expecting several things when they got back from the desert. He’d heard some noise that indicated battle in the far distance, but A2 quickly reassured him that such disturbances were par for the course in the city. There was usually a big battle every month or so, with a lot of Androids and Machines dead in a variety of manners. Whether it was in the sea, on the land, or even in the sky, these fights always managed to come around like clockwork. So, he hadn’t been too worried. Sure, he was worried about the fight that had been taking place, especially that unusual sound towards the end of it, but he’d managed to calm himself down. He prepared himself for the sight of bodies, fires, destruction, maybe even some survivors with a war story to tell about the fight itself.

He had not been expecting to find a massive section of the city reduced to a sinkhole the size of three and a half city blocks.

A2 tried to seem nonplussed, like this was nothing to be surprised about. She was doing a poor job of it. The shock she felt was evident on her face, her jaw slightly slack and her eyes just a bit too wide. She had not been expecting this, despite all of the crazy things she must have been through to survive to this point. But, as much as he wanted to get a closer look at the gigantic, gaping chasm in front of him, his curiosity being somewhat synonymous with that of watching a car wreck, A2 had managed to reign him in by pointing out the obvious: that the area would likely be under a high degree of surveillance, specifically by YoRHa, and that she wouldn’t be able to come with him to investigate without being spotted.  YoRHa was after her, after all, though he still didn’t know exactly why. Still, Daniel conceded to her reasoning, and they made their way back to the forest.

Now that they were back in the relatively safe confines of one of their camps, they could discuss the possibilities of what happened in some form of privacy. 

“Do you know what could’ve possibly done that much damage in such a short span of time? Is there a model of Machine that could do that?”

“Not sure,” A2 answered honestly. “Maybe if a bunch of Engel-Class Goliaths decided to team up, but even then, there would have to be a lot of them, and  YoRHa wouldn’t just let Machines that big roam free without trying to take them down first. Other than that, I’ve got nothing.”

“Then... would  YoRHa have that kind of firepower? That kind of thing doesn’t just come out of nowhere. Not most of the time.”

“I wouldn’t know. I was put on the ground only a month after I was first manufactured.”

“Okay... wait, seriously?”

“Seriously. Once I adjusted, got tested, and was ready to go, I got put in a flight unit and sent down to Pearl Harbor with the rest of my team. It was a bit jarring, waking up to realize that your memories are just implants. That was unpleasant. But I did what I was supposed to do. ‘Glory to Mankind’ and all that crap.”

“So... how old would that make you?”

“Physically? This  body’s about four years old, if we’re counting RO day. I’m not entirely sure where I am mentally. You’d be a better judge of that than I would be.”

“Well... if I did have to guess, I’d say you're in the mental space between late teens to early twenties. Twenty-one, if I had to pick a number in terms of human age.”

“... huh. For some reason, that feels... right,” A2 said, looking somewhat perplexed by her own answer. “Weird. Actually, how old were you? Y’know... before you died?”

“Nineteen. Twenty, now; I think it's been a month. I thought I told you this when we met.”

“You did. I just wanted to be sure. Anyway, I don’t have much of a clue as to if or how  YoRHa would make a weapon that destructive and not use it to wipe out Machine life by the thousands on the daily. If they have, then they’re showing remarkable restraint. If it was me with that thing, I’d be killing every Machine in a  ten-mile radius.”

“... yeah, I could see that happening,” Daniel said, infinitely grateful that he had decided to keep the location of the Machine village from her. “Still, that doesn’t leave us with a lot of information. Do you know where we’d be able to get some, other than from the crater itself?”

“Which we’re not going to go to because YoRHa will have it under heavy,  _ heavy  _ surveillance.”

“Right.”

“... I... hmm... well, technically, scouting out the crater might not be out of the question for  _ me _ .  YoRHa doesn’t regularly update its own security protocols unless something proves to be immediately threatening, so that they can send more resources to the fight against Machines. They’re pretty reactionary like that. But that also means that they’re most likely using Scanners to monitor the status of that crater and what’s inside it. So... I might be able to scout it from a distance. Plus, they can’t scan for me since I jammed my own Black Box signals, so they’d have to look pretty damn hard to find me in the first place.”

“You’d be comfortable with that?”

“Hey, I was on the run from  YoRHa long before you showed up. But if I do that, I’ll have to do it alone. My style of stealth requires a lot of things I don’t think you’d be too comfortable with. Not morally or anything, it just involves a copious amount of acrobatics.”

“And you’re already a lot stronger than I am, so you’d be able to do your best work if I’m not there to slow you down.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” A2 said, the apology apparent on both her face and in her tone.

“It’s alright. I mean, I haven’t been able to bring back whatever it was that let me do all of that crazy shit back in the desert, so I knew this might happen.” Daniel waved his hand as he tried to recapture that feeling he had when he first used his abilities. Other than a faint glow and some sparks trailing through the air after his hand, there was nothing of note. He didn’t feel any stronger of faster or tougher while he used it. It was just... there. “But... well, we knew that this was going to take some time. So, until I can figure out how to manifest the stuff that I used back in the desert on command, we probably shouldn’t be counting on my abilities too much. Unless we need a light or something like that.”

“Yeah. I wish there was a program for this so that you could download what you needed to know into your brain like we Androids do with our Black Boxes.”

“I know, that would be so much easier!” Daniel had already imagined several possibilities for such a thing: he could download combat programs for fighting, repair programs to help A2 with her maintenance, and a bunch of other things that he might not have thought of yet. But he had no way to get those programs, so he was stuck learning the  old-fashioned way. 

Still, the thought of repair tickled something in the back of his brain. He wasn’t sure why, at first. A2 was functioning perfectly well, with no discomfort or complaints about things going haywire or anything of the sort that he could think of. But it wasn’t about A2. He had something that would need repairs. Something that...

Daniel shot up and dashed over to his pack, beginning to dig through it for what he needed. He placed ammo to the side and tossed the leftover canteens over his shoulder. A2 was suddenly concerned, following him to his bag, asking, “What are you looking for in there?”

Daniel didn’t respond, instead continuing to dig through the contents of his pack, until, finally, he found what he was looking for, hoisting it over his head in triumph. It was the thing that he had placed into his bag just before they made their way into the innermost chamber of that space:  the Pod, labeled 007. “This! This is how we kill two birds with one stone!”

“... how?”

“Well, Pods seem to be  standard issue for  YoRHa special forces, right? But there are so many inactive Pods lying around that some are bound to have been repurposed at some point. The Resistance probably knows how to repair this kind of stuff, if they have a relatively close relationship with  YoRHa . So, if I can go there and repair Seven-”

“You gave it a name?”

“ Of course I did. Who wouldn’t?”

“The Pods, for one.”

“... fair enough. Anyway, if they do have the knowledge and the resources to repair this thing, then maybe I could use that opportunity to get some intel on what happened at that crater. If not, then we could maybe repurpose this thing to act like a scout and gather more intel that way.”

A2 looked thoughtful for a few moments, furrowing her brow and bringing her hand to her chin. The gears in her head were turning quite heavily. Daniel almost thought that he heard a ‘clunk  clunk , clunk  clunk ,’ sound coming from her forehead, but quickly wrote it off as his overactive imagination. 

“It might work.  _ Might _ . That depends on whether they’re repurposing them at all.  YoRHa consider Pods way too valuable to lend them out to allies, and from what you’ve told me, it’s more of a handshake agreement than an actual alliance. But the Resistance is very,  _ very _ good at fixing things up. So... it’s not out of the question. You wouldn’t even have to lie about where you got the Pod.”

Daniel nodded. “I know it’ll be a bit risky, but we also really need this. We might even get some form of communication with the Resistance.”

“It is risky. They’ll help you; they help a lot of Androids who need it, but they won’t help you for free. And since we didn’t get a whole lot of G in the desert, you’ll probably have to do some odd job for them. Hopefully, it won't involve putting you in danger. The last one didn’t, so it should be hard. What did you do for them, by the way?”

“Ran some supplies for them. It was a pretty simple job, all things considered. Didn’t even run into any Machines,” he said, lying as he finished his statement. He wasn’t going to tell A2 about Pascal’s village. Maybe later, if he ever learned why she had such a supreme hatred for all Machine life. Maybe he could help her work past it. But that was a maybe, and this was a certainty.

“Hm. Well, do what you can. Don’t be surprised if you can’t get anything out of them; they can be pretty tight-lipped about that kind of information.”

Daniel, once more, was tempted to ask her just how she knew all of these things about the Resistance. But he didn’t wish to press the issue. If she didn’t want to talk about it, she didn’t want to talk about it. He nodded to her, saying, “Alright. Anything you want me to say on behalf of ‘Ace.’”

She gave an audible groan at that. “I told you, I really don’t like that codename, D.”

“Well, it was either that or I make your alias the chemical name for gold.”

“And that is?”

“Aurum.”

.

..

…

“... you know what, Ace works just fine.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

***

It took Daniel even longer to get to the Resistance Camp this time around, due in no small part to the gigantic fucking sinkhole in the ground that had appeared while he and A2 were in the desert. It cut off the primary route that he had used last time, but he supposed that there was a positive side to this. Now that he needed to plan a new route, he could make it so that no one would be able to trace him back to the forest. Through conventional means, at least. 

This meant that the route was going to be longer than the last one had been. The first route had taken about ten minutes overall. This second one, depending on the  amount of hostile Machines in the areas he would be traveling through, could either twenty minutes or an entire half-hour. Either way, it wasn’t overly long, but it could be unpleasant. 

Still, he eventually managed to make his way to the Resistance Camp, same fortifications and all, with most of their troops accounted for and plenty of weapons at the ready. Understandable, given the massive sinkhole that had appeared after that large-scale battle had occurred so close to their territory. They didn’t pay him too much mind as he walked into camp, as it had been before, like it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was strange, but in an oddly pleasant way. He wasn’t the odd one out. It was nice.

Then, rather suddenly, as Aster finished tending to a patient, she saw Daniel near the entrance to the camp, and immediately made her way over to him, relief evident on her face. Instead of doing anything that he had been remotely expecting, she pulled him into a hug. It wasn’t one of any familiarity, or of a particular affection; it was sheer, true relief. And despite that, it was warm, and genuine. She was happy that he had been spared the destruction that had befallen the sinkhole’s area. It took Daniel a moment to process that, but he did return the hug, lightly placing a hand on her back, returning the gesture.

“Thank the fucking moon you’re alright, Clover,” Aster said, detaching herself from the embrace as she gave him a once over. “You’re in one piece, right? Get much use out of those guns yet?”

Daniel glanced over his shoulder to look at the long barrel of the Barret .50 Caliber the Resistance had leant out to him. “A lot, actually. Never knew how tough Machines could really be until I tried to shoot one with a Magnum round at near-point blank range.”

“... jeez, how thick in it were you two?”

“Very. I don’t think you would believe how many there were.”

Aster raised a salmon-tinged brow. “Try me.”

“I’d rather not,” Daniel replied. “Like I said, I’m not sure you’ll believe me. I don’t think I would, if I were in your shoes. Besides, these things are on loan, so... yeah, I don’t think I’ll be using them again any time soon.”

“Well, that might be changing soon. You and Ace are the only other Androids that we know of outside of the Resistance itself other than Accord, so... who knows? Maybe Anemone will let you keep ‘ em as a sign of good faith?”

…

“... she’s already planning on doing that, isn’t she?”

“Wouldn’t stop talking about it. Said stuff about forming some kind of understanding or alliance with you and Ace. The gist of it is this: the Resistance can get you and Ace a steady supply of weapons and ammunition to make your time in the forest easier. In exchange, she was going to propose having you guys in regular communication in case anything happens over in your neck of the woods.”

Daniel couldn’t help but snicker at the accidental pun. Aster looked confused for a moment, until a look of realization came over her and she immediately replied, “Pun not intended.”

“ Sure it wasn’t.”

“Shut up. Anyway, the forest has always been the one part of this entire area that we haven’t really been able to get into because of... well,  _ those _ odd Machines who keep chasing most of our scouts off. Not sure how you and Ace have stayed incognito in the forest for as long as you have, but either way, you two are our best point of contact.”

Daniel took a moment to think the impromptu proposition over. He would have to talk it over with Anemone herself, but it was a pretty good deal, all things considered. If she was considering letting him keep the guns, it would be a very helpful prospect to not have to worry about collecting enough G to pay for ammunition on top of anything else that he and A2 might need from the Resistance. But this was also a broad-strokes explanation of the deal, and while Aster did seem genuine, he also knew that plenty of things could be hidden in the fine print of such a thing. It was the reason that legalese was such a complicated business language: to hide secrets and create loopholes.

Still, he wanted to get all of the information on the deal that he could before he came to any hasty decision. Even then, he still needed to talk this over with A2; this deal would involve her as well, after all. Daniel nodded, and said, “I’ll drop by. Maybe you guys can tell me why things seem to be so hectic in the meantime?”

“Later. For now, you really should check in with her; she was pretty concerned about you and Ace.”

“Oh, I appreciate her concern for me, but I don’t think anything short of a divine act would kill Ace. Even then, I think she might only lose an arm.”

Aster gave a short laugh at that. “Noted! Now get going.”

Daniel turned to go to Anemone’s command tent, stopping to look at the flowers that were gathered in the center of the camp. They were still a stark contrast to most things he had seen in this place, and one of the only pieces of controlled plant life he had seen in... well, forever. The flowers were of species he didn’t know or remember, but he could still appreciate them for what they were: beautiful despite the circumstances. Then, without pausing, he turned and continued would, a light breeze flowing through the petals, gently swaying in the passing wind. 

Anemone was behind her table, with different papers scattered on her desk now, instead of the ones he had seen the last two times he had been here. No rest for the wicked, it seemed. The dark-skinned woman glanced up as he approached, a look of both relief and approval on her face as he came under the tarp’s shade. “Clover. Good to see you. I take it that Aster already told you about my plan?”

“She told me the gist. You guys need eyes on the inside of the forest because of the hostility of the Machines in there, and you’re willing to let me keep the guns you’ve already loaned to me and give Ace and I supplies and ammunition if we do it. I won’t lie, it doesn’t sound like that bad of a deal. If it was only up to me, I’d take it.”

“Well... I haven’t met Ace, and from what you’ve told me, she wouldn’t be willing to talk to anyone other than you.”

“Unfortunately,” Daniel confirmed. When he had come here the second time, in order to get the guns, Anemone had asked about Ace and why she hadn’t come with him. Daniel had helped A2 come up with a plausible story for this, and it wasn’t pretty. ‘Ace’ had run into a group of Androids infected with the Logic Virus. Daniel wasn’t sure what that was, but it was an Androids-wide disease, and all those infected would eventually go insane. It sounded eerily similar to White Chlorination Syndrome and the Legion that it could produce, if the wrong choice was made. 

She made the suggestion that, after barely surviving the experience, ‘Ace’ would become extremely warry of all Androids, infected or not, until she found a confused and nearly broken ‘Clover.’ The story wouldn’t hold up to close scrutiny of A2, but the Resistance had yet to even see her, let alone get close enough to tell that she might be lying. So, their only source for reference would be him: ‘Clover.’ Admittedly, it wasn’t perfect, but it worked. Anemone had actually seemed quite understanding of Ace’s supposed situation. It made Daniel feel somewhat bad for lying to her. 

“I hope that goes well.”

“So do I. Er... actually, if you don’t mind me asking: what the fuck happened with that giant sinkhole in the middle of the city?”

Anemone gave a single, tired sigh. “ YoRHa’s still investigating it. If they don’t know why it’s there, we’re not going to have much better luck. It did appear during a massive battle in the city, though. You and Ace were in the desert at the time, so you didn’t see it happen. Basically, a bunch of Engel-class Goliaths came into the city and started wrecking everything. Buildings, trees, buildings that were being supported by trees; everything they could see, honestly.  YoRHa got on it quick, but by the time the fight was done, something in the ground just gave out, and then the sinkhole was where part of the city used to be. And there was this... signal. It wasn’t there for long, but it... fuck, it was terrifying. It came from the place where the sinkhole is right now. We didn’t manage to identify it, and if  YoRHa knows anything else about it, they haven’t bothered to share it with us. Maybe they want to know more, or maybe they just want to make sure that we won’t freak out.”

Daniel glanced to the side as she finished her explanation. One of the mechanics was currently twisting a bolt a bit too tightly, forcing himself to correct this mistake for a brief moment before picking up his next project. On the other side of the camp, the dark-skinned weapons vendor, whom he’d learned during his last visit was named Hibiscus, was continually checking his available weaponry, both firearms and melee armaments. Aster seemed just as nervous, leaning against a post with her arms crossed and one of her index fingers tapping rapidly against her bicep, as though she were waiting for something to do, or for something bad to happen. Or both. And behind the same mechanic who had twisted the bolt on too tight were two redheaded girls who bore striking resemblances to one another. The one to the left had her hair styled wildly, and sat with a deliberately relaxed posture. The one to the right had her hair straight-cut, though it was just as long as the former’s, with a ready, rigid posture. They seemed outwardly calm and... that was really all he could tell about them. He’d seen them around, but hadn’t thought to ask for their names in any regards. They were outliers in the fact that they were perhaps the only Androids who seemed genuinely composed, as opposed to the rest of the camp who looked shaken, including Anemone.

“I suppose that makes sense. No point in making allies worried when you don’t have the full story yourself.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed by it.”

Daniel nodded. Then, he remembered the secondary reason why he had come to the camp in the first place. He quickly dug through his bag, leaning his rifle against the table, and quickly fished out the Pod husk. “I found this thing in the desert. I saw that 2B and 9S had some of their own when they came through here my first time, so I was wondering... do you have any idea how to repair one of these?”

“Yeah.”

.

..

…

“... you admitted that a lot easier than I thought you would.”

“Yeah. Surprisingly, while  YoRHa won’t lend them out to us, they did send us the means to give out repairs on the things whenever they pass through and need it. Unfortunately, we also have no idea how to make our own. We’ve got part of the process, but not all of it. Which is a damn shame. If we had more of a concrete basis to work with, this war would’ve already become much,  _ much _ easier.”

“So... could you help me out, then?” Daniel asked. 

“You’d have to ask  Basil about that,” Anemone said, gesturing to the goggled mechanic who continued to fidget with various things at his little makeshift shop. “He knows about repairing this kind of stuff far more than anyone else in camp. If anyone can repair that Pod, it’d be him.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Daniel said, sincerely.

“Don’t mention it, kid. I’m just glad you and Ace are alright.”

Daniel quickly made his way over to the goggled mechanic, evidently named  Basil , who took his approach as a sign to take a bit of a break on the project in his lap. “You’re Clover, right? I’m sure you’ve already heard of me, but I’m  Basil , resident mechanic and engineering whiz. How can I help you?”

“Er... well, I think you may have overheard my conversation with Anemone, but do you think you could help me out with this?” Daniel presented the black and green Pod to the mechanic, whose expression  immediately became curious and analytical.

He made a motion with his hand, and Daniel took that as a signal to hand him the Pod, the mechanic treating it with a kind of reverence that only went to the extremely competent. He felt around the seam of the Pod, eventually finding a small latch that allowed him to see into the internal hardware. “Hmm... interesting...”

“So... can it be fixed?” Daniel asked. 

“In theory, yeah, it can. Most of the vital hardware is intact, so you should be able to replace what’s missing.”

“Missing?”

“Yeah, this thing is missing some vital parts. It’s missing both Complex Gadgets  _ and _ an entire Complex Circuit. Those are both really,  _ really  _ rare. The only Androids around here who don’t have a lot of difficulty getting their hands on them are  YoRHa , and they’ve never been keen on sharing these kinds of resources. I could probably make the things you’re missing eventually, but it’d take a long time, not to mention the fact that it’d also be pretty damn expensive; almost a hundred thousand G.

“... holy fuck, that’s... that’s a lot of money.”

“I know. It’s mind-boggling to think about, but that’s just the low-ball estimate. The stuff you need is pretty damn expensive, and even then, there’s no guarantee I’d be able to get this thing working. I’ve been trying on other ones, and I know the theory, but this would basically be a toss of the dice as to whether this would function or not. Even if I could get it to function, I don’t have a way to alter the software without potentially damaging the Pod permanently.”

The redheads were watching their conversation now. Though they said nothing, they were definitely listening in. Daniel ignored them, and instead turned his mind to how he could solve this conundrum. He really did was to get the Pod fixed. From hearsay alone, they were total game-changers. If even half of what he’d heard of them was true, it would be more than worth the expense and the risk. But Basil did have a point. As much as it might be worth the risk, that was no guarantee that this would even work. 

Something tickled the back of his brain just then. An odd idea. Pascal’s village had the resources to help make things as complex as replacement fuel filters without the need for heavy equipment, considering that some of the Machines in the village  _ were _ the heavy equipment. So, if they had those kinds of resources...

“Do you think I’d be able to get those supplies from Pascal and the rest?”

Basil looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered. “... maybe. They do have access to more complex resources than we do, so I wouldn’t be surprised. But it would depend on how much they can spare in the moment. Complex Gadgets would take some scavenging, but as for Complex Circuits... well, my first recommendation would be scavenging one off a Machine corpse, but they usually don’t survive fights intact.”

“How big would it have to be?”

“Small. About yay big, shaped like a square.” he held up his fingers for demonstration.” I think they’d only be available on only the most pristine of Machine corpses. And even then, that’s not a guarantee that it’ll survive. Why?”

“Just checking,” Daniel replied as he flexed his fingers. If he could use stealth to isolate a single Machine like he and A2 had last time, and was careful to avoid striking the head, he would have a good chance of retrieving the smaller Circuit intact. It was still something of a flip of the coin, and he would have to be truly,  _ ridiculously _ careful, but otherwise, he should have the second piece he needed in little time at all. 

“I think I can get those pieces for you.”

…

“You sure about that?”

“... not entirely. But I’ve got a pretty good shot! I think. It really depends on how this shakes out.”

Basil gave a bit of a laugh at the admission. “Do what you can. Don’t be surprised if it takes a while, alright? Like I said, those pieces are rare finds.”

“I know. But I’m  gonna try anyway.”

Basil gave a small chuckle at that. “Well, good luck, Clover. And say hi to Pascal for me, would you? It’s been a while since I’ve seen the guy. He’s a damn good storyteller.”

“I’ll let him know,” Daniel said, waving over his shoulder as he walked out of camp. It would take a while to get to the Machine village, especially with a whole section of the city in a sinkhole. But the Pod would be worth the extra risk. Besides, even if it didn’t work out, he did have  _ some _ indication as to what the hell had happened to cause that sinkhole. Not too much more than they already did, but enough to at least have a starting point for theory.

He hoped that A2 was having better luck on that front.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally, this chapter was going to be much \\\much\\\ longer than it ended up being. So, instead of forcing you guys to wait for that, I decided to split it up, both to give the story some room to breathe and a chance to better plan things out. As always, if you have any questions or critiques, please feel free to comment down below! Hope you all enjoyed! See you next time!


	8. Sleuthing and Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A2 eavesdrops on a pair of chatty Scanners, and Daniel hears the first part of a very long story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! This is the second half of that first chapter I promised you guys! It works much better like this, huh? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

A2, despite her reasoning to Daniel about her plan, had not been built with stealth in mind. Sure, she could do complex acrobatics she was sure that any human would envy, her considerable strength would make it easier to quickly silence any pursuers if she was ever seen, in addition to several other factors that made her a great asset in several situations, some of which she had yet to encounter or consider. However, that did not change the fact that she had not been built with stealth in mind. Especially since they had given her these fucking heels. Sure, they were reinforced to a point that was honestly a little overkill, and though she had never been particularly vain, she could admit, back when they had been full boots, they had looked damn good. But _ why were these things so fucking loud?! _ It was ridiculous! Truly ridiculous!

Still, while she complained to herself in her mind, she didn’t allow her annoyance to make itself known to the world. The first step in any good stealth situation was to  _ remain quiet _ . If someone could hear you while you were trying to remain unseen, you would not remain unseen for very long. It also helped that she was extremely lithe and acrobatic, allowing her to hang at odd angles in order to remain out of sight of any scouts that  YoRHa would send this way. It was surprising how infrequently most  YoRHa units refused to look up. The only ones who did that at all were often Scanners, but even then, it didn’t happen on any consistent basis. It didn’t seem to be a flaw in their programming, just... exceedingly common.

Scanners... god, just thinking about this was reminding her of Number 21. She had been a Scanner. The only one A2 was aware of that wasn’t either male or at least somewhat masculine. Like the two below her in this husk of a collapsed building. They were both the standard models for their task: short, sleek and slender, with short hair of varying pigmentation, brown and black respectively, and the same black uniform as 9S. Their weaponry was different from what she’d seen the aforementioned Scanner often wield when she had fought him. Brown hair bore a long, wickedly tipped spear; it almost looked more like a double-headed axe than any kind of spear, with a lion’s head set between the blades and just below the tip, while black hair had a pair of large, spiked gauntlets holstered at the small of his back. She wasn’t entirely sure what weapon brown hair was wielding, but she recognized black hair’s as Type-3 Fists. 

Contrasting her friend’s appearance was also their personalities. Most models had a baseline for who they were. For example: any models who were a number 9 with the same type would begin their lives as practically the same Android, until their experiences eventually shaped them into their own entities. Number 21 had been somewhat detached, and aloof, keeping herself at arm's length from most of their unit and the Resistance fighters back in Pearl Harbor, despite the fact that she had grown to genuinely care for them. 

These two were neither reserved nor remotely quiet enough to perform a stealth mission. Which made sense, since they were probably on a long-distance recon mission. They were good at their jobs; no self-respecting Android would be caught being anything but the peak of efficiency in the effort against the Machines, but the Scanners she had seen seemed to have been programmed with an insatiable curiosity for the world around them, especially when it came to information regarding both Machines and humans. For some, it got to the point that they basically became walking repositories of miscellaneous information that had almost no bearing on what it was they were assigned to.

This, combined with the fact that they were observing the sinkhole statically, and that she was in a rather precarious position of balance herself, essentially led to her eavesdropping on their conversation. Entirely unintentionally on her part. Great.

“Looks like they’re doing another wrap around,” brown hair said, gazing at the distant section with intent.

“Marking off. Pattern repeated... twenty-seven times? Damn,” black hair noted. “I know Machines are pretty dumb, but this is ridiculous.”

“Can’t say why they’re like this. That’s half the reason we were made, right? Find out as much as we can about Machines,” brown hair responded.

“I suppose. … hey, 33S?”

“Yeah, 47S?” brown hair said, unknowingly identifying himself and his companion to A2.

“Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

“That’s one of life’s greatest mysteries, isn’t it? Why are we here? Is the universe just a random, chaotic mess with no inherent meaning to anything that happens? Or is there some kind of a god, with a plan for everything and stuff? I’m not really sure which is scarier. But it’s enough to keep me up during shut-off.”

.

..

…

“What? No. I meant why are we out here, in some building on the edge of the crater?”

“O-oh. Erm... scouting parameters. Pretty simple stuff.”

“What was all that stuff about god?”

“Nothing.”

“You want to talk about it, sir?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Anyway, why do you suppose they have us out here at all? I get that they want us to monitor the situation, but if it’s really the Aliens, then why haven’t they sent down a squad of combat units yet? Wouldn’t it be prudent to capitalize on the situation at hand?” 47S leaned against a nearby wall, his posture relaxed and his words casual.

“It’s also be prudent to gather as much intel as we can before any kind of an effort is made to go after the Aliens. They’re number one on our priority list, but if we’re going to do this, then we need to do it right. If the bastards have been  underground this entire time, there’s no telling what kind of structures or resource deposits they may have come across.” 33S stepped back from the opening as he explained their reasoning. 

A2, on the other hand, couldn’t believe what she had just heard. The Aliens? The fucking Aliens?! The ones who had built the Machines in the first place?! She...!!! She...! She… she felt surprisingly calm. Almost detached. Yeah. The Aliens had created the Machines. Created the beings who had killed so many Androids she had cared for. But really... what had they  _ actually _ done to her? The Machines were sadistic, vile, and clever killers that could adapt rapidly to different methods of fighting and killing. Even detached from their network, they marched on, fighting their fights. But the Aliens? What did she really know about them? They wished to wipe out humanity, that much was incredibly obvious, but where was the reasoning? Was there a real reason?

This wouldn’t stop her from killing each and every one of them if she had the chance. Lack of hatred or not, they had still created the beings that had caused her so much strife. They would pay for that. For everything they had done. If she had to do it by hook or crook, she would make them all pay. Not because she hated them. She hated the Machines. She did not hate the Aliens.

The conversation below her continued. 

“It still doesn’t make sense, sir. Wouldn’t we need to get closer in order to properly assess a course of action? It’d be much more efficient than scouting it out from here. The distance only gives the advantage that they don’t know we’re here in the first place,” 47S said, standing from his casual leaning against the open wall, and began pacing around the building deliberately avoiding the gaping hole in the floor. 

“I’d agree in most other circumstances, but they’re sending in a specialized ground team for that assignment,” 33S patiently replied. “We’re supposed to stay here and observe what goes on while they make their investigation into that.”

“Oh.”

“What do you mean ‘oh?’ This was in our orders.”

“That... might’ve slipped me by, sir. I got rolled out only a month ago, so I’m still pretty new to all of this.”

“They still haven’t... damnit, I thought they’d fixed this issue by now.”

“Issue?”

“Yeah, there’s this issue with Scanners not getting orders until they get this weird communication glitch worked out. Doesn’t happen very often, but it seems to be a trend with certain numbers.”

“Did it  happen to you, sir?”

“Briefly. It sucked, but I got it fixed pretty quick. Anyway, I’m just here to show you the ropes. I might only be a year older than you, but that’s practically a lifetime in a war like this, so keep paying attention, alright?”

“Understood,” 47S said, suddenly more formal than he had been before. “If I could ask a question, sir?”

“Go ahead. Also, don’t use too many formalities. It just gets in the way of clear communication.”

“Oh... erm... who’s on that ground team? The one heading in later to investigate it?”

“2B and 9S. Why? You heard of either of ‘ em back in the Bunker?”

47S seemed shocked for a moment before he responded. “T-they’re practically legendary in their own rights! 2B’s been one of the most capable combat units in  YoRHa’s history. I’m surprised she hasn’t been given command of her own squad. And 9S is probably one of the greatest information gatherers we’ve ever had! They practically wrote the books on combat and espionage respectively.”

“That tracks,” 33S said, a smile coming through his tone. “Admittedly, I’ve never even  _ seen _ 2B before, but I worked with 9S on an assignment a few months ago. Guy’s not just curious, he’s  _ insatiable _ . Always looking for an answer to questions that no one’s bothered to ask yet. I think that’s why he’s so good at info gathering. He wants to know as badly as Command does. Maybe even more so.”

“Yeah. Still, it’s odd, don’t you think?”

“What is?” 33S stood a bit straighter.

“I mean, I know it isn’t unheard of for  YoRHa to form squads, but they’re usually composed of Androids from within the same classification. Scanners, Healers, Battle Units, Defense Units; even Operators, when we need large scale logistics. This is the first time I’ve heard of a team composed of two Androids from entirely different specializations teaming up. It... I don’t know. It just seems like  _ that _ should be the rule, rather than the exception. Doesn’t it?”

A2 knew why. Sometimes, the personalities of certain Android types were so naturally volatile towards one another that it often caused one of two kinds of reactions. Hostile intent that bordered on the homicidal, causing one to murder one's fellow Android, or a copious, almost unhealthy amount of lust that  often required physical intimacy to quell. Or, if she put it simply: they either killed each other, or they fucked so often that nothing got done, and there was almost no middle ground to speak of in the two extremes. She had... experience, with the latter of the two. Number 4 was... she... god damnit.

_ Fucking... urgh, stupid thoughts, getting away from me without my permission. C’mon, keep listening! _

“I can’t say why those two got put together. It’s unusual for Scanners to get partners at all, beyond special espionage assignments. Maybe it’s a test run for something they’ll do regularly in the future? I can see how pairing a Scanner and a Battle Unit would be effective, at the very least.”

“That doesn’t sound quite right, sir.”

“You have a better theory?”

“No. It doesn’t change the fact that it seems... unusual.”

“Fair enough. Let’s just see how this one turns out before we make any other judgments.”

_ You have no idea how ironic that sounds to me. _ A2 didn’t know the exact reasons that those two in particular had been paired together, but she did have a hunch. When 2B had first approached her, she had introduced herself by a different name. Not 2B, as so many Androids had come to know her. 2E. An Executioner. Based on  _ her _ combat data before she had deserted. Scanners were curious. Some were so curious that they might go through  YoRHa’s secret records simply because they were bored, despite it being against protocol. One as insatiable as 9S would surely come across vital information that very few members of  YoRHa were made privy to. 

Executioners were made for a single purpose: killing other Androids.  YoRHa Androids. To quell rebellions, to reset certain units, or to simply tie up loose ends. She already knew that Daniel had seen the two traveling into the Resistance Camp together, but that hadn’t been enough to draw many conclusions. Now, it was almost certain that she had been assigned to that Scanner unit. These two who had often found her, only to be killed by her, were suddenly assigned to each other. Was it a coincidence? A single instance of chance bringing those two in particular together? 

A2 let the thought wander and die. It didn’t matter why. What mattered was that they were traveling together again, as she had sometimes seen from a distance. And if those two fought her together, instead of the myriad of times they had fought her apart, they might actually stand a decent chance at killing her. 

She couldn’t let that happen. Not yet, anyway. Daniel was still a factor in her current life, and she promised to at least get him up to snuff in terms of fighting capabilities. And then there were those strange abilities that had manifested so suddenly when they were in the desert. Until he could fight to her satisfaction, and gained control of his abilities, she was going to stick to him like... well, she couldn’t think of a metaphor at the moment. Crusading against the beings who had taken everything you loved and cared for left little time for things like idle thoughts of appropriate metaphors.

The two scanners began to go into idle conversation regarding things going on in the Bunker. Not anything major or world-shifting, just standard  YoRHa jargon and some gossip. It wasn’t relevant to her current situation, and she’d spent as much time as she could observing them safely. So, with no more noise than a mouse, a very difficult task with her heels on, she scurried out of the building and made her way back to the forest.

***

Finding a safe path to Pascal’s Village had taken some time, but it was perfectly doable. It would’ve been shorter if Daniel had bothered to go near the lip of the crater, but that was not a risk he was willing to entertain. The fastest route, had, unfortunately, been swallowed along with the rest of the potion of the massive sinkhole, and he wasn’t willing to bet his stronger, but still very human, body against a gap that long. There was difficult, and then there was goddamn impossible. That gap had to be twenty feet, at least!

So, after another half hour, and a brief struggle with the bent beams that served as a wall, Daniel once again found himself in Pascal’s village. The same Machines were still here, the children playing in the lower sections while the larger one watched over them, and other Machines of varying sizes went about their days. Pascal, in contrast to his first meeting, was not instructing the Machine children, instead staying inside of his surprisingly small home and readying a book of some kind. Apparently, when one didn’t require much space to sleep, it led to different standards of architecture. 

Daniel approached Pascal, but didn’t disturb him. He knew how easy it was to get immersed in a good book. They had been one of his first loves, discovering other worlds and getting positively lost in them. They’d been one of his only sources of entertainment while he’d been in the hospital, and something that he dearly missed now that he had no easy way to read any of the ones he remembered. So, he let Pascal take his time.

After a few minutes, Pascal glanced up, as though just noticing that he was there. Seeming somewhat surprised, he closed the book and placed it on a small shelf, walking over to Daniel and giving a quick greeting. “Hello. I am sorry I couldn’t speak with you sooner.”

“Caught you at a bad time?”

“Something like that. I get quite immersed in my reading sometimes. It might be a bit of a problem.”

“Well, I can’t blame you for indulging in your passions. Actually, the reason that I came over here was to indulge one of mine.”

“Oh? What would that be?”

“Tech salvage,” Daniel said as he pulled the Pod out of his backpack, still as lifeless as it had been when he had shown it to Basil. “I’m looking for some Complex Gadgets to get this Pod repaired. Do you have any of those?”

Pascal took a moment before he responded. “Yes. However, you must understand that these parts are uncommon even for us, and we can’t just give them away for free.”

“I know. Do you need me to do an odd job or something?”

“As it happens, I could use some assistance, if that’s alright. If at all possible, could you take some pictures of the wildlife in the forest? I need them for a class I’ll be giving to the children in a few days.”

“Sure. But I don’t actually have any photography stuff on my person.”

“But wouldn’t you simply need to look at it? Are Androids not built with that as standard?”

Daniel tapped his knuckles against his head. “EMP, remember? If I do have those functions, I can’t access them. Trust me, as it weird as it is for you, it’s even weirder for me.”

“Hmm... well, if you do not have access to this function on your own, I could jury-rig a device that serves a similar purpose.”

“You can do that?”

“Of course. Something like that is simple compared to making filters and more complex parts that we need to survive. Simply give me a few minutes, and I should have it in your hands.”

“Sure. Mind if I stick around? You did promise me that story, didn’t you?”

“I believe I did,” Pascal replied, a smile clear in his tone, though his face was not able to properly articulate the expression. He stepped back into his home and reached into a box filled with various parts while Daniel leaned against the entrance, casually resting his forearm on his sword’s hilt as he began to let himself relax. Pascal had begun to put the pieces of the makeshift camera together when the tale began, his work an idle background noise that brought him an odd  kind of comfort.

“A long, long time ago, before there were Machines or Androids on the earth, humans still lived on the earth. Wonderous, fascinating, and unique in all the ways you could imagine and more. One day, there came two great beings from a scar the sky. A giant made of ice and stone, and a dragon made of blood and fire. They were enemies, the two of them. The giant was a mother of destroyers, ones who devoured worlds and left nothing but ash to remember them by. The dragon was a sister of mortal kind, and did not wish for her own to suffer at the hands of this primordial beast. 

“So, she tore open a way into this world, and brought the giantess with her. Then, above a city in the east, its name long forgotten to the annals of time, they fought. Not in a battle of violence, nor a battle of minds. It was, instead, a battle of song. Of notes both light and dark, to counter and attack their respective foe. The giant was far more versed in song, and far more powerful as a result. But the dragon was clever, and sang notes of decay to weaken the body of the giant. She was made of stone, and all stone could crumble away to nothingness, no matter how sturdy. After a battle that lasted for hours, the giant, her mouth agape in a silent scream of agony, collapsed to the city ground beneath her, crumbling to dust and ashes.

“The dragon, however, did not survive this encounter. Severely wounded in the fray, she could not last for long. And before the giant died, she had one last note go out: a note of fire and death. The dragon was struck through the heart by a lance of flame, conjured by her greatest enemy, and plummeted downward, impaled on a tower through where the lance had struck her dead. Those who found her did not know who she was, nor how she had come to be in their world. Both the giant and the dragon, villain and savior, were dead.

“But their war was not over. The giant’s stone made its way into the hands of humans, who were curious about the giant’s origins. The dragon’s body, too, was taken by humans for similar reasons. Those who touched the stone unprotected would slowly turn to stone themselves before crumbling away to nothing, and a rare few became infected with her will to destroy. The remains of the dragon were different, allowing some humans to wield a portion of her power through certain books. The war was far from over, for both of them.

“Ah!” Pascal said as a final piece slotted into place. “It’s done!”

“Thank you,” Daniel said. “For this, and for the story. Basil was right, you’re a pretty good storyteller.”

Pascal gave a light chuckle at that. “I do my best! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Although, I wasn’t quite finished with the whole thing?”

“Really? There’s more?” Daniel knew there would be, but he thought it would be better to feign ignorance, to keep the amnesia cover. Though some details seemed to have been altered over the years, the main body of the events in question had remained intact. A giant and a dragon had come through a sudden gap in the sky. The giant had crushed a large section of a business district when she had landed in Tokyo, and the dragon had flown down after her. 

The dragon being a friend was new, as were the circumstances surrounding her death. No one knew how the two beings had come here, or if they meant a significant threat to the world at large. So, the Japanese Airforce had taken action and neutralized the remaining potential threat with a pair of air missiles shot from combat jets. What Pascal had described from the giant had sounded remarkably similar to a physical manifestation of White Chlorination Syndrome, and the Legion that later came because of it. He didn’t know about any books that were made from the dragon’s remains. Whether that was accurate, or a simple embellishment, remained to be seen.

But that didn’t stop him from consistently going over the biggest omission. The one that confused him the most. Because it hadn’t been just two beings that had come through the scar in the sky. There had been three. The dragon had a rider.  _ What the fuck had happened to the rider? _ __ It had been largely accepted, after reviews of footage from the incident, that there had been one. Humanoid, male, tall, fair-skinned and wielding a large, heavy sword. They had never found his body. 

But that had been a mystery back when he was still alive. He doubted someone would’ve solved it in the thousands of years that he had been dead, even beings as advanced as Pascal. There simply wasn’t a whole lot of information to draw from.  Of course the story would leave out the rider, eventually. He hadn’t played a particularly large part in the event itself. But Daniel had always been curious about him. He had dreamed of riding dragons, when he was younger. But those were idle curiosities, and nothing more. 

He was taken from his thoughts as Pascal continued. “Yes. There is a long war between the ones who gained the giant’s will and those who wield the books crafted from the dragon’s magic. The whole story is somewhat long, but quite interesting, in my opinion.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to ask for the rest, next time I’m through here. Anyway, I should be off. I believe I have some photos to get you.”

“Much appreciated! Be safe out there, okay? I know you and your friend live in the forest, but the outriders are hostile towards any outsiders, including other Machines. And they are very adept warriors in spite of their... unusual behavior.”

“I know,” Daniel replied as he began to make his way towards the exit to the village. “I’ve got a pretty simple strategy for that: stay quiet, stay mobile, and  _ don’t die _ .”

“That sounds rather simplistic,” Pascal said, head tilted in slight  confusion .

“Hey, if it  ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Daniel replied.

“If it... isn’t... what is not broken? Are you okay?” Pascal asked.

“No, no, it’s just... it’s something Ace says sometimes. I think it’s a way of saying: ‘if something works just fine, don’t change it or it'll break down.’ It’s kind of a weird saying, but I think it’s appropriate for a lot of stuff nowadays.”

Pascal nodded, understanding donning on him. “I get it now. It is somewhat convoluted, but I think I understand the gesture. Thank you for teaching me this.”

“Glad I could help with that,” Daniel said. “Off to get those pictures! Seeya then!”

Daniel delicately placed the makeshift camera in his bag as he left, looking forward to what the rest of his day would likely entail: relaxing walks through nature, taking pictures of wildlife, and hiding in the bushes from knights who were set on killing everything they came across. Compared to the chaos of the desert just a few days ago, that honestly sounded like a vacation. Besides, he still needed that Complex Circuit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say at the end of this, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! See you all next time!


	9. Traitor's Quandry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel meets a farmer, gets some pictures, and a wandering knight searches for meaning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to the latest chapter! So, this took a while to write because of the fact that this was another one of those chapters that ended up being much longer than was reasonably manageable. So, again, I split it up, since I think I found a good way to leave you guys off somewhat satisfied while leaving some intrigue for the next part. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

It was a nice sight, Daniel noticed as he snapped a simple photograph of a big, brown moose walking across the river’s edge. The sun was filtering through the canopy in just the right way to bathe the whole place in a soft, steady golden light, reflecting off the river as the moose slowly began to walk away. The lichen-covered rocks that stuck up from the river did not escape this effect, looking as though they had been painted onto the world, rather than placed there by chance. A beautiful sight, to be sure.

And one that Daniel quickly had to abandon in favor of staying alive. The strange thing about taking good photographs: it took time. A lot of time, is you were something of a perfectionist. Daniel usually wasn’t, but he felt that Pascal and the Machine children deserved his best efforts. This resulted in him taking too long, and a patrol eventually came across him as he had just finished up, the sounds of their metallic feet echoing loudly as they came into the clearing, directly in his line of sight. Well, that was the downside of art. Sometimes you had to suffer to make great things. 

_ Though I don’t think the metaphor was supposed to be this literal! _ Daniel thought to himself as he ran through the forest, sword drawn and xenophobic knights in hot pursuit. They were shouting their allegiance and loyalty to their king as they came after him, too, which only helped to solidify his image of the average Forest Knight. If they had been humans rather than Machines during the time that he’d been alive, a comparison to the Nazis would not have been out of place... if the Nazis had used spears and swords instead of all the other horrible shit they had done to fellow human beings. Fuck the Nazis. And fuck these Machines in particular for reminding him of the Nazis. And for chasing him almost half a mile through the forest. It was going to take forever to reorient and find a boar with all the noise they were making!

As they passed a particular tree, Daniel took the opportunity to slash at the rope that was hidden behind the trunk. This rope was a trigger for a very basic, but very effective, trap, one of about a dozen that he and A2 had set up around the forest. A classic log  trap . As the trigger released, Daniel quickly dashed out of the way, already hearing the massive tree husks making their way down the slight slant of the cliff. They barreled right into the knight who had pursued him, causing several metallic snaps, crunches, and hollow booms. There had been a total of ten in pursuit. Now, there were only three, the only ones remaining being the horn-helm wearing commander and two spearmen. 

Okay, okay. He could do this. Sure, he wasn’t as good a combatant as A2, but Daniel was far from helpless. With a quick motion, he swapped his blade to his off-hand and pulled his revolver, firing all six bullets into one of the spearmen in rapid succession. Two of them went straight through the eyes, causing it to slump over as it gave the telltale death sign of all Machines: an internal explosion. That felt a little ridiculous, but he didn’t have time to question it. And really, he didn’t have much of a reason to, anyway.

With another practiced motion, Daniel slid the revolver back into its holster and held his blade with both hands, his body shifting into a combat stance as he made his way towards the remaining two Forest Knights. The spearman wouldn’t be much of a problem. A2 had taught him well, in the short time they had been camping together, and he knew exactly how to counter it.

He rushed forward then, parrying its wild, instinctual spear-strike, knocking it off balance and opening it to attack. In the same motion, Daniel brought his sword around and sliced clean through the spearman, striking the core without resistance. As the minion fell behind him, he readied himself for the opponent in front of him. On his own, with no help, this commander likely would’ve been more than a match for him. That large slab of a sword clearly wasn’t for show. But Daniel had seen it take damage to the leg from the log trap. Through the commander was working through the disorientation, it was clearly uncomfortable. He just needed to capitalize on that.

The commander seemed to realize his situation. However, this did not make him consider the possibility of retreat. In fact, it only seemed to make him more resolved than he had been before, shifting weight away from his injured leg as he held his sword in front of him, pointing it directly at Daniel. Then, he spoke, its voice artificial and bereft of all emotion but rage. “I WILL NOT DIE HERE, ANDROID SCUM! I WILL AVENGE MY COMRADES, AND THEN I SHALL FIND THE TRAITOROUS KNIGHT WHO THOUGHT HE COULD ABANDON US SO!”

That was news to Daniel. Apparently, the Forest King's rule wasn’t so perfect. There were always those who were discontent in their nation. Many revolutionaries had valid reasons for feeling that way. Others... did not have such reasons. He wondered which camp this traitor of the Forest Kingdom fell into.

But that was a question to ponder in a few seconds, when this commander was, hopefully, dead on the ground. The horn-helmed warrior charged him a guttural cry tinged with the telltale signs of artificiality, his sword raised as though to strike him in half. Daniel slipped the blow and held his blade’s tip against the commander’s chest, directly over where his core was. This was a lot easier than it had been before. Was it A2’s training? Partially, at least. But Daniel had a feeling that it might be due, in no small part, to those memories he kept seeing. Still, whatever the proper answer was, he had still won. 

To cement this fact, he quickly pierced the commander’s core, an audible gasp coming from him as he was put to death. It was strange, hearing such a human sound coming from something that had only a head and no face to emote that sound with. Was he angry? Surprised? Relieved? Daniel wasn’t sure. The uncertainty didn’t bother him that much.

He drew the sword from the hole he had torn in the commander’s chest, allowing him to fall back to the forest floor, already dead. Daniel gave his sword a single swipe, clearing it of oil, and sheathing it back at his left hip. When that was done, he allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, his muscles relaxing with the motion. Damn. That had been... intense. Half a mile of running to a trap that he and A2 had set up only a little while before they had gone to the desert had, admittedly, not been the best plan, but he wasn’t going to complain. He was alive, after all.

“Maybe we should set up more of those traps around the forest...” Daniel muttered to himself as he stabbed a collapsed spearman through the torso. Fifth rule of horror movie survival: always double-tap. If you think the monster/serial killer/ghost/entity is dead, they almost always aren’t. The first rule was, obviously, to not be a dumbass and get out of those situations as quickly as possible. The second, if you were unable to follow the first, was to get a weapon. Preferably a gun of some kind. 

He repeated this process with all the Machines that he had not personally destroyed. Sure, they didn’t pose much of a threat to him right now, but if the core survived, they could just get put in a new body later down the line. So, Daniel capitalized on that weakness and struck all of them through their cores. It took only a short minute.

After he was done with that, his mind wandered to what the commander had been yelling about just before Daniel had stabbed him through the chest: the traitor. Such a thing seemed... odd. Why would a Machine suddenly turn rogue, and from their own kingdom no less? Most of these knights seemed loyal to the point of fanaticism and zealotry. What would make one of them suddenly lose that radicalized faith? There were several reasons that he could come to, but not one that made sense for the behavior he had seen from most Machines thus far. The reasons that he was  thinking of applied to humans, and they were all on the moon. 

Still, it might be something to look into. Maybe he could take A2 along to look for this guy? She could get a good fight out of it, and they might be able to learn more about the Forest Kingdom. If the Machine was a traitor, he would have no reason to keep any secrets from them. He just hoped they would have a chance to talk before A2 decided to kill him. That would be supremely awkward.

But that was for later. For now, he had pictures to take. And,  hopefully , by the end of the day, he would have the outline for a working Pod! Hopefully...

***

The knight slashed through the remaining spearman as it called out to its king. Fools. The lot of them. Some of these ones were new. Others were as old as he. The knight had served the king of the forest for over two hundred years. A king who was no longer here. A king that could not speak, leaving nothing but his memories. He had left them a child that did not age. That never grew older. That never grew big, that never fought, that did not even have the capacity to even learn.

Two hundred years. Leaving the network, swearing oaths, faithfully deterring all outsiders from their lands. And what had that gotten them, in the end? In all his years of service and loyalty, nothing had changed. At first, he had been fine with that. He had served. He had been loyal. But something had changed. Not something that he could describe, or even fully comprehend, but it was there nonetheless. It had nearly driven him mad. Perhaps it already had. He didn’t know what madness felt like. 

Still, he hefted his blade and continued his march as though nothing had happened. He was a mid-sized Machine, with four fingers on each hand and flexible joints, unlike the smaller Machines with thinner limbs that seemed far  more stilted and stiff . He bore the traditional garb of his former station as a commander, sans the helmet: a metal cuirass above a shirt of linked chain and a pair of metallic bracers on both of his forearms. In place of the helmet, he wore a simple shroud that covered his head almost entirely, leaving only his eyes exposed, the excess length trailing behind him as he walked.

This would tell everyone what he was. A deserter. He wanted them to know. Let them come. Let them fight. Let him  _ feel  _ something. Something more than the emptiness that had taken root in his core. And if that could do nothing for it... then let him die with some shred of honor intact. Let him die rather than wander this forest forever, where nothing changed. Death. There had been a time in his long life where he had been unaware of the concept entirely.

Now, he wished that it would come in whatever form it damn well pleased. Blade, bullet, claw, or horn. Any form at all. It would be better than this emptiness.

***

Daniel wasn’t sure why he thought climbing through a bunch of overgrown roots was ever remotely a good idea.  But, the reasoning was sound. Some animals might try to get into places that offered natural protection, usually at the tops of trees in their canopies or digging into their trunks. Maybe this was similar?

_ I think I should’ve just climbed the tree. That seems way easier than this is. _ Daniel thought to himself as he dragged himself over another root. Seriously, the sheer size of these things was insane! He would’ve called bullshit on the physics of it, if he actually knew anything about tree growth beyond basic dendrology. Plus, with the size of some of the trees back in the city itself, he’d have to be an idiot to think that something of this size wouldn’t be able to support its own weight. Still, something this large had to be at least a few hundred years old.

Daniel lost track of the sun for a bit as he wound his way over the tree roots, and found it again when he found what was on the other side of the tree. Along with the sunlight, he found... a house. Yes, it was made of metal, and seemed incredibly impractical for a human to live in, but he had found a  _ house _ . Next to the house was a stable of some kind, but it didn’t hold horses. Instead, it held animals of all varieties: a moose, a boar, even a deer, a creature that had hadn’t seen since he had arrived in the city! It was strange to see it here, seemingly tamed and looked after. There was even a small, fenced area behind the stable, somewhere the animals could walk around and get some exercise. Not as large as some would recommend, but for three animals, it was decent enough.

A clanking sound alerted him to the presence of something else as it opened the door to the metal house. It was a Machine. Smaller than most, and wearing a shroud over its dull, metallic sphere of a head. It seemed surprised for a moment before it took a pitchfork into its hand and yelled, its voice as monotone and artificial as the rest of its ilk: “YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM! YOU WILL DIE BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM!”

Daniel was confused by the statement, but he was far more concerned with the deadly farming implement currently being shoved into his face. He side-stepped the first blow; this Machine was clearly imitating the behaviors of crazy farmers. As far as he was aware, people who were actually like that were rare, but that didn’t stop the fact that he was currently trying to not die. The second blow almost managed to nick him across the shoulder, and Daniel began debating whether he should kill this Machine just to be safe. He clearly wasn’t in a headspace that one would consider healthy to outsiders. In that way, he was much like the knights who did their constant patrols and barred entry to all outsiders. 

But this didn’t seem like it was being done out of fear in the slightest. It seemed like more of a protective instinct. he had said ‘you will not take them.’ The only beings that he could be referring to were the animals in the stable. So, quickly, Daniel raised his hands, saying, “Hey, hey! It’s okay! I’m not here to fight, okay? I’m not here to hurt them. I’m not here to take them away from you.”

“HOW DO I TELL? ARE YOU TELLING THE TRUTH? GIVE ME PROOF!”

“Er... the fact that I currently haven’t drawn my weapon and am trying to talk you down from doing something  kinda dumb?”

“KILLING YOU WOULD SOLVE MY PROBLEM FASTER. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS PLACE. AND THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD STAY.”

“I... do you want me to promise not to tell anyone?”

“PRO... MISE? WHAT IS ‘PROMISE?’”

Daniel was seriously baffled. Were these Machines so far removed from any semblance of individuality that they didn’t know what a promise was? That was... honestly,  kinda sad. This Machine seemed as though it had broken off from the network by itself. Maybe it had been isolated for so long, with only its animals for company, that it hadn’t taken the time to learn anything approximating social skills, focusing on better things, like fighting and caring for its animals.

So, somewhat out of pity, and somewhat out of curiosity, Daniel tried the best he could to explain the concept. “A promise is... a kind of verbal agreement that you will or won’t do something. Like... I promise to not hurt your animals or try to take them from you.”

“BUT... THIS ‘PROMISE’ IS MERELY VERBAL. WOULD IT NOT BE EASY TO DISREGARD ENTIRELY?”

“Maybe. But I do my best to not break promises.”  _ Not unless I  _ _ absolutely _ _ have to. _

The Machine turned its head after that, as though reconsidering. It stayed like this for several seconds before turning its head back to Daniel, then pulling back its pitchfork and resting it on the butt of the shaft. “VERY WELL. I SHALL HOLD YOU TO THIS PROMISE. IF YOU DO NOT UPHOLD IT, I SHALL HAVE RECOMPENSE WITH YOUR BLACK BOX ON MY WEAPON, ANDROID.”

_ I can just  _ _ feel _ _ the hospitality wafting over to me. Really, it’s just great,  _ Daniel thought to himself as he nodded to the machine farmer, taking out his makeshift camera and walking towards the stable. The Machine didn’t take his eyes off of Daniel the entire time. 

Daniel was taking his first picture of the boar when the Machine farmer spoke up again. “WHAT IS YOUR DESIGNATION?”

“I’m going to assume you mean my name?”

“IS THIS ANOTHER WORD FOR DESIGNATION?”

“It can be.”

“THEN YES, I AM ASKING FOR YOUR ‘NAME.’”

“... Clover,” Daniel replied, snapping the picture at just the right angle. The only one that Daniel had entrusted his real name to had been A2, in large part because she was the only reason that he was still alive. He also liked her. Not in a romantic sense, though she was certainly attractive; he just liked having someone to talk to. It had taken a while for her to get used to him being around, but at this point in his life, he couldn’t imagine being apart from her permanently. She was his friend. This Machine farmer had shoved a pitchfork in his face and had threatened to kill him twice in the span of a single minute. Safe to say which of the two he preferred.

“CLOVER. AN INTERESTING DESIGNATION. I WAS ONCE KNOWN AS UNIT 623936. THAT DESIGNATION NO LONGER APPLIES TO THIS UNIT. IT CUT ITSELF FROM THE NETWORK NEARLY THREE HUNDRED HUMAN YEARS AGO, TO FOLLOW A KING WHO WAS NOT WORTHY OF ITS LOYALTY.”

That got Daniel’s attention. Had this been the ‘traitor’ that the commander had been going on about? It was possible, but this desertion seemed to be a more recent thing. You didn’t send units on a trail that was almost a century old. Unless you were batshit insane. Daniel had yet to meet this King of theirs, so he was reserving judgment, for the moment.

“Do you have a designation you prefer?” Daniel asked as he turned his camera towards the deer, which glanced at him for just an instant, allowing him to snap a nearly perfect shot. He positioned himself to take a few more, just in case.

“NO. THIS UNIT NO LONGER WISHES TO HAVE A DESIGNATION. IT ONLY WISHES TO CARE FOR THE  ANIMALS IT HAD TAKEN TO.” The Machine’s featureless face didn’t move as he spoke, and there was no hesitation in his voice either. He believed what he had said to Daniel.

“... that sounds a little lonely, don’t you think?” Daniel asked, rising from his crouch without even a single sore sensation. Again, the  difference between this body and his old one was making itself very apparent.

“I AM NOT LONELY. I HAVE THE ANIMALS. THEY NEED NO DESIGNATION FOR ME. THEREFORE, I DO NOT NEED ONE AT ALL.”

“To each their own. Anyway, I’ll leave you to your animals. I won’t tell anyone about this place, so rest easy, alright?”

“I HAVE NO NEED TO REST.”

“Just an expression,” Daniel said as he walked away, another few  photos in his collection. It was probably all the animals he was going to find in this place, so he moved on to the trees. Maybe he would get lucky and find some birds.

***

It wasn’t so much that Daniel had trouble finding birds: they were absolutely everywhere. The problem was that they wouldn’t stay still long enough to let him take a decent picture. He had seen sparrows, hawks, some crows, even a bluebird. Thus far, he had managed to get two pictures of a sparrow, and one picture of a crow, mostly due to sheer luck. He hated relying on luck. Oh, it was most certainly a factor in much of the day to day in every way that he couldn’t  perceive . He just didn’t  like relying on a concept he couldn’t fully understand.

It was as he was pondering the nature of luck and its sheer breadth of incomprehensible influence that he came across a Machine. Not one that led a group, though it wore the armor of a commander, except for the helm, which was wrapped in a dark shroud, only parting to let its eyes peek through the cloth. Its armor was well-made, but clearly beginning to show some wear and tear, a dent in the front of the cuirass, and some  scratches lining the gauntlets, horizontal and vertical alike. 

They stared at each other for a long moment before the Machine hefted its blade, pointing it right at Daniel’s chest. Then, it spoke, its voice articulate, deep and masculine, yet still  distorted by its own artificial voice box. “Have you come to slay me, Android?”

That was confusing to Daniel. It almost reminded him of his first meeting with A2, though his company was now both male and a bit harder on the eyes. Still, he didn’t miss a beat as he answered. “Not really. I’m not looking to fight anyone else today. I already had to kill a patrol that chased me for half a damn mile, and I’d rather not go through  something similar now.”

“Ah.  So, the group among the logs was your handiwork, I take it?”

“... yeah...” Daniel said, his hand cautiously hovering above his blade. 

“It was good work. It might have taken me thirty seconds to get through the seven caught in that trap. You took them in far less time. I commend your preparedness and your cunning.” The Machine then...  _ bowed _ to him, as though in genuine respect. An action that Daniel had never seen from any Machine, let alone one from the xenophobic ranks of the Forest Kingdom Knights.

“Regretfully, however, I cannot let my respect of both of those qualities halt my want to battle. Move, or be moved,” The Machine declared, the ultimatum hanging in the air as he stood from his bow and brought his sword back in a ready stance. 

Daniel breathed. This Machine was clearly more intelligent than the others. He was speaking clearly, concisely, and didn’t seem to wish any beings in particular any kind of harm. A kind of Reaper’s Equality. No matter who you are, what you do, or the reasons you do it, eventually, everything ends up in the same place: dead in the ground. Unfortunately, this Machine was also standing in his way. Daniel didn’t have many points against the Machines. Yes, most of them had wanted to kill him, but he had ended up killing all of the Machines he had come across with the exception of Pascal’s village. And he  _ knew _ the villagers. Not well, and not intimately, but he knew that they wouldn’t hurt a fly if it meant to eradicate all of Machine kind. Well, maybe then, but they would have to be pushed to a very extreme situation for that to even be considered.

“Well, as much as I like living, I’m afraid I still need to take some photos. So... no.  No, I don’t believe I’ll move at all.”

The Machine gave a brief nod. “No one ever does. What is your designation?”

“Clover. You?”

“I have no designation. I  abandoned it as I  abandoned my duty.”

“... that’s a shame,” Daniel said, placing the camera gently off to the side before he drew his blade from its place at his hip, holding it in both hands as he shifted into a combat stance. For a moment, nothing moved. All was silent. No animals. No birds. No running water from a creek. Just the tense calm before a swiftly rising storm. 

Then, all at once, it exploded, and the two combatants locked blades. Though neither moved, it was clear that the Machine was the stronger of the two head-on; it had been built to fight, and, while Daniel’s body was far more athletic than his old one had been, he had still only begun to learn how to fight only a month ago. If he stayed in this clash, the Machine was going to win. 

So, he played to the only advantage he might have, and angled his sword in such a way that the Machine’s blade slid along it, the ring of metal-on-metal ringing through the forest. When the Machine overextended, he lunged forward in the hopes of landing a stab through the Machine’s core, only to miss when the Machine stepped back, forcing him to duck a backswing and backpedal a few steps away from his opponent.

The Machine took its ready stance again, unphased and unperturbed. If he was, he had no real way to articulate it. A shame Machines didn’t have faces. It would make understanding them a lot easier. Daniel kept his eyes on the Machine, sword held in the same ready stance. That had been the start of the battle; a testing of the waters, to see how skilled each other were as opponents. 

“You are... decent. More skilled than many of my own fellow knights,” the Machine complimented. “Perhaps you will give me what I seek.”

“And that would be?” Daniel asked, blade still raised in defense.

“I do not have the words to describe that which I search for,” the Machine said, a resigned tone in his artificial voice.

Then, the knight leapt forward, swinging his blade once, twice, thrice. Each time, Daniel angled his blade, letting the deadly edge harmlessly pass him by as he stepped back with each blocked strike. On the third, Daniel swept his blade out and along the arm of his opponent, aiming for the shoulder to take his opponent’s weapon and limb from him. Instead, the Machine reacted faster than Daniel could comprehend, and blocked with the gauntlet from the opposite arm. Sparks flew from where the gauntlet and blade connected, pushing Daniel back several more steps to regain his  balance . 

It was obvious he was losing ground. The knight was stronger, faster, and likely had a wealth of experience that Daniel did not have. He was on the back foot. It was rare for one to win any kind of fight on the back foot. A2 could do it because she was incredibly experienced and ridiculously strong, but Daniel was only human. So, he decided, right then and there, as the knight came for him once again, to do one of the things that humans did best. 

Cheat.

Daniel kept his eyes on his surroundings as he dodged the knight’s attacks by hair’s breadths and the skin of his teeth. He could feel the sharpness of the knight's blade as it swept past him, almost slicing the air. His heart was pounding, but he knew what to do. Slowly, but surely, he led the knight to the edge of the clearing, until a tree was almost within the range of his sword. On the next strike, the adrenaline started coming in hot. He could see the sword coming down at him, almost  _ inching _ forward, intent on taking his head from his shoulders. All the same, while it felt like forever, it was only an instant, and before it could claim his life, Daniel leaned down, stepping to the left as the blade sunk into the trunk of the large tree with a loud  **_ thunk _ ** .

Daniel wasted no time, and made his move to capitalize, bringing his sword up in both hands and aiming the two-handed strike at the knight’s hand. His sword swept down, and cut nothing but air. The knight had made the wise move to let go of his sword, leaving him without a weapon, but with his limbs all still intact. Immediately, the knight raised his fists into a guard reminiscent of a boxer, backpedaling as he waited for Daniel to strike. 

“You know, I would ask why you’re wearing the armor at all, but it just stopped a sword with high-speed vibrations along the blade as standard. How the hell did it block that?” Daniel asked.

“I do not know. All I know is that it stops blades that cannot otherwise be stopped. That is all I must know for it to be effective.” A simple explanation, but a fair point nonetheless.

Daniel rushed forward now, sweeping his blade in the style that A2 had begun to teach him. The knight blocked and parried his strikes, but never used enough force to put him off-balance, as Daniel knew the knight was capable of. Instead, he kept blocking, kept... examining. Daniel felt as though he were being studied for weaknesses. If he didn’t end the fight soon, the knight might find one and exploit it without mercy.

The knight made an attack of his own, a simple jab, that Daniel easily slid aside. Then, the knight stopped mid-strike and grabbed him by the shoulder with the hand that had been striking forward. Then, as quickly as it had happened, Daniel was flung to the side with tremendous force, bouncing off the ground once, twice, then skidding to a halt by another section of trees, with dirt against his jacket and his back beginning to bruise. He was surprised that  nothing was broken yet. 

Daniel reoriented himself, looking at the knight as he walked slowly forward. He took in a few breaths and looked around, trying to find anything that could help him in that moment. Then, he saw something he hadn’t expected. A rope, just to his left, right within the range of his blade. One of the traps that he and A2 had set up.

_ You have no idea how much I owe you right now, A2, _ Daniel thought to himself. Sure, he’d been the one to design the basic layout of the traps, but A2 was the one who’d made it possible.

Then, he waited. The knight was getting closer now. Step by hollow step, it came closer, and closer. A few more steps, and the knight would be on top of him. 

And now, he was too close to dodge.

Daniel quickly rolled to the side, slashing out with his blade and cutting the rope in two, letting the stacked logs free and burying the knight in heavy timber. Daniel let himself take deep, long breaths, forced himself to take in the oxygen. The fight had been short, but damnit, he felt exhausted. And he... he...

_ Holy fuck, you have got to be kidding me! _

Daniel watched, paralyzed with awe, as the knight lifted one of the logs above its head. It seemed to strain with this process, as though it were the heaviest thing it had ever lifted. Considering the sheer size of most of the logs, it wasn’t surprising. The fact that he was  lifting it at all was impressive enough. The fact that he was now throwing it towards his general direction? Even more impressive.

Luckily, Daniel didn’t let the second wave of awe overcome his survival instinct, and dove out of the way of the giant tree carcass as it dug into the spot where he’d been standing, a loud impact sounding out as it landed. God, that thing was so... big. And heavy. He could’ve been crushed!

So, he adjusted his grip on his blade and charged at the knight once again. Once, twice, thrice, and many times more, he struck out at the knight. The attacks were either dodged, blocked, or parried with his gauntlets. He really needed  to know where the hell that armor had been made; it could seriously save his life  sometime in the future!

He was driving the knight back further and further, towards the edge of the tree line. Soon, his back would be up against the metaphorical wall, and he wouldn’t be able to dodge any of Daniel’s attacks. He continued in his efforts, stepping closer and closer. His strikes got closer to striking exposed metal with each attack. He was almost there! He almost had the knight!

And then, the knight’s hand whipped back and grasped something behind him. Something that, in the haze of battle, Daniel had forgotten about. The knight’s sword, rough and thick, was still lodged in a tree. The tree that was directly behind the armored Machine. He pulled it from the trunk, and raised it up in an overhead strike. It was so fast that Daniel couldn’t fully process the fact that it was really happening. In that moment, he did the only thing that he could. He raised his arms in a futile attempt to stop what was coming. 

Daniel felt the impact. He felt  the weight of the blow carry through him to the ground beneath, leaving indents and cracks along the stone. He felt it all pressing into him, knowing that he wasn’t strong enough to stop it. And yet... he did not falter. He stood there, dazed, confused, but still standing, and still  alive . 

He had not caught the knight’s sword with his own, as he had hoped he would. Instead, he had caught the sword on his forearms. And they were not in pain, nor were they bleeding or severed. Instead, they were... glowing. Glowing with that soft, faint grey-white light that he had seen in the desert. Unlike the last time, this didn’t feel as substantial, or powerful. But he could  _ grasp _ it. He could  _ use _ it. He knew what it felt like, and he knew that he would remember how to call on it again. Strange to think that just two days ago the feeling had been so fleeting, and now it was so clear he wondered why he hadn’t seen it before.

“What... what are you?” The knight asked, clearly shocked, though he did not let that cause him to falter in his clash with the smaller humanoid in front of him.

“I’m me. That's all I need to know.”

Not bothering to wait for a retort, Daniel punched the knight in the plate. The blow sent him skidding back quite a few steps, though not with nearly the force or velocity that he had used before. It made a kind of sense. Clarity came with less power, and the reverse had happened during the last time. He would have to build up to that. But he let those thoughts fade back as he got back into a combat stance, both hands on his blade. He could see the light beginning to creep up the blade,  strengthening it as it had his arms. 

Daniel paid the fact no mind. He had a fight to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. I understand that you all probably have a few questions. Feel free to ask if you do! I'll answer as best I can without going into spoilers. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! See you next time!


	10. Knights and Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel and a knight come to an understanding, and a Machine without a name chooses one for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, back again with another Chapter! This one took a while. I wanted to get the tone for it right, and I think I've managed to do a pretty good job. Anyway, I know you're not here to listen to me prattle on about my process. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

The knight righted himself as he skidded to a stop, going into a ready stance once his balance had returned. Something about this Android was different. He had seemed somewhat frail, like those Scanner units that Yorha was fond of sending into the forest, though Clover was far taller than they were. He was also far cleverer of a fighter than most he had come across. That trap, though seemingly unintentional, had almost gotten him. His strength had been enough to save him from death, and he had been fast enough to work through the Android’s next attacks. He had guided the fighting to where his blade had been half-buried in a tree, and thought, as he brought his blade down, that the fight was over, then and there.

Then the glow had started, and Clover no longer seemed even remotely weak. His arms had withstood his blow without so much as a scratch, and then he had struck him in the chest hard enough to send him back.

 _Who... is this Android? And what type is he? Is he an experiment? Is he part of YoRHa, or the Resistance? Is he something else entirely?_

None of those questions were pleasant to think about. And even so, this was not the time to dwell on them. Thinking _before_ a fight was all well and good. It could even save your life. But thinking _during_ a fight? That could get you killed. 

And the knight did not wish to die just yet. This fight was just starting to get interesting. Something was beginning to stir in him. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Excitement. Not much, not nearly enough for him to lose focus. But he felt it all the same. 

He brandished his blade and Clover raised his own, the grey-white light from his hands trailing up his standard-issue YoRHa blade. That was another sticking point in his thought process, his choice of weapon. Had it come from another dead Android? Or had it been given to him? Questions for later. Clover moved forward first with more speed than before. Not to the point that the knight was unable to block, meeting the sword with the edge of his own steel, but it was still a significant difference to the Android he had been fighting beforehand. The knight was even pushed back a few centimeters. Impressive, for an Android that clearly hadn’t been designed for head-to-head encounters. 

Clover reached for something at his side. The knight wasn’t sure what it was, but he pressed his advantage and kicked up with one foot. It met his opponent’s light-encased forearm, blocking the blow, though the momentum of it sent him back a few inches. Despite his increase in strength, the knight still had the strength advantage, if only by a minor margin. Then, Clover pulled a gun from his side, clearly what he had been reaching for earlier. It was a revolver of some kind, with six chambers for six bullets. The knight had only ever heard of the concept from a brave scout who had survived an encounter with the Resistance. The king's counselors had the scout executed after that. 

The knight began to run around the clearing of trees, Clover’s hand trained on him as he fired. He clearly favored the hand that held his blade, and hadn’t trained to shoot with his off-hand, to the knight’s own fortune. Once he heard all six shots ring out, he spun on his foot and charged at Clover once more, sword in hand. 

The Android blocked the strike as he had before: letting the weight of the blow shift past him. He had been trained in a kind of fluid style, but it was unrefined, and simple. Given a pure battle of attrition, the knight likely would've won. However, that grey-white light – whatever it was – was making up the difference in their experience. He was learning to hate that light, robbing him of a clear victory. 

They clashed again, Clover pressing his full weight into the strike as the knight did the same. They both knew that, if it went on for long enough, the knight would win any contest of strength between the two. The light gave him a boost, but the knight was still a stronger combatant overall. So, what remained was for Clover to find a way to turn the clash to his advantage, while the knight continued to press his own. 

“You surprised me,” the knight admitted. “You appear to have functions that normal Androids do not. This is not to mention the fact that you are both a masculine model and able to fight. I have not seen such things from YoRHa before.” 

“Yeah, get in line,” Clover replied, his jaw clenched as his eyes darted around. “I want some fucking answers too.” 

“How do you mean?” the knight asked as Clover slid down, letting the knight’s sword go over him as he dodged the clash altogether. The two took more relaxed stances now, as though they had both sensed a lull and got their bearings. A strange thing, in a fight, but it had happened to the knight only once before. He had learned to be thankful for moments like these, but to always be wary of the one who stood across from him. 

“I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t know how either. I don’t even know what the fuck this is,” Clover lifted his still-glowing left hand, indicating what held his frustrations. “But I do know that the moment I find out who put me here, they’d better have a very, _very_ good explanation.” 

“... you do not recall your purpose?” 

“No. Got hit with an EMP blast outside the city. I was picked up by my partner after that. Been stuck with weird shit happening to me ever since.” 

“I will admit, while I lack context, that does not sound pleasant.” 

“Eh. It’s not all bad. I’ve got A tw-” he stopped himself mid-sentence, as though recalling something in the moment. Then, he continued. “I’ve got Ace. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me since I got here. Wouldn’t be here without her. Literally, she saved my life the first time we met.” 

The knight had never had much thought for the consequences of his battles. With his fellow Machines, it was simple. He had never had a particular love for any of them. They all seemed the same. All devoted to some idea or figure or another that rooted them in place, unable to change or grow or evolve. The Androids had been marginally more interesting. With YoRHa, it was almost as simple as it was with the Machines. They threw themselves into battle without a care for their own lives. Only a very rare few fought to live. Those ones were among the few that had nearly take his own life. The Resistance was far more expressive than the previous two. They fought for humanity, yes, but more than that, they fought for their own lives. Very few Resistance members had ever come into the forest, but the ones who had were crafty, and determined to survive. 

Clover here... he was something of an anomaly. Despite his supposed lack of memories, he clearly cared about this ‘Ace’ that he had mentioned. As though she might miss him when he died. But how? How would an Android that survived an EMP blast with what seemed to be OS damage even have the capacity to care about an entity other than itself? 

And yet, despite his doubts, and despite what he had been taught, the proof stood before the knight. As undeniable as the Earth’s lack of rotation and the color of the sky itself. 

“Then I suppose you should get back to her,” the knight said, taking a ready stance once again. “And the only path to that future is through me.” 

Clover looked at the knight, and sighed, as though in resolution. The grey-white light on his hands did not falter, a steady glow encasing them as ribbons of it trailed up his blade, not quite reaching the edge as he matched the knight’s ready stance with one of his own. “Like I said. That’s a shame.” 

Then, out of nowhere, there came the clatter and clank of armor. But audible over even that was the sound of mechanical appendages moving and clicking and clacking around as they moved. Forest Knights? Now? At the most inopportune time? The knight would’ve sighed, if he were capable of such a function. In his experience, this kind of thing either happened right when it was needed, or when it would be perfect to leave a situation uninterrupted. He often saw the latter of the two results. 

There were two – no, three – squads of knights, each with a commander at their heads as they came before them. Behind them was another of the elite knights of the forest. A comrade of the knight’s, back when he had still been ignorant and complacent. Though he did not notice, the knight’s grip on his sword tightened ever so slightly. 

The elite knight stepped forward, the spearmen in front of him clearing the way to the front of the pack. The knight did not recall the elite’s name, nor did he wish to. He only wished for this to be over with. He had a fight to finish with this Clover. 

“My fellow elite,” the knight said, his voice masculine, but noticeably different from the knight’s own, a bit higher in pitch, a bit more pleasant to listen to. Not something that most would notice. The knight noticed. Noticed, noted, and filed away to deal with later. “You have been charged with treason, breaking rank, and the murder of twelve fellow knights at the time of your departure. These are the charges from three months past. You have since then slain many of our patrols. Do you-” 

“Shut up and arm up,” the knight said, holding his sword aloft. The spearmen all fell into formation, the commanders adjusted the grips on their own weapons, and the elite knight made no move to prepare for battle. 

“At least come willingly and die with some shred of dignity intact,” the elite insisted. Clover stretched his neck then, audible pops coming from him as he twisted. He had his own blade held casually at his side, and his hands were still encased in that grey-white light. One of the commanders was consistently swapping his gaze between both Clover and the knight, while the spearmen closest to him leveled their weapons as though preparing to charge straight for him. 

“I will die with more honor in this nameless clearing than you would on the field of a battle that would be remembered for ages long after your death. So, no. I will not come with you, spineless cur. You shall have nothing but my cold, lifeless corpse.” 

The sheer venom and hatred in those words was enough to give Clover some pause, turning to his opponent as they stared down the knights that meant to kill them both. “What the fuck did these people do to get _that_ kind of a rise out of you?” 

“They do not grow. They do not change. They are zealots, cowards, or worse: both. I would rather die than let these scum touch even one inch of my armor. Such a thing would... disgust me.” 

It was the most unusual sentence he had ever uttered, both in his own thoughts and aloud. Despite the strangeness, however, saying it felt appropriate. It felt **_right_ **. So, he turned to Clover, and spoke once more. “I apologize that we will not have the chance to finish our battle. Perhaps another time.” 

Clover clearly didn’t believe him. Maybe it was the way his face moved. Maybe it was the way he tapped his heel against the ground, as though he were suddenly jittery. Maybe it was the way he tightened a grip on his blade. Maybe it was all of them. Maybe it was none of them. No matter what it was, Clover turned his eyes to the knights that stood before them, that had interrupted their battle and stolen what sanctity it had once held. 

“If these Machines are even half as despicable as you claim... well, I can’t rightly leave them to their own devices. Let’s kill the fuckers and get back to our fight in our own time. Sound good?” 

The knight was still for a few moments, shocked and surprised. But he nodded all the same. There was a very slight chance that, if they fought together, they could get out of this alive, though not unscathed. The strange light that Clover’s hands were producing had yet to fade or dim, and it seemed as though it had reinvigorated him. The knight nodded, and the Android raised his blade beside him. 

The elite, however, seemed to take some issue with this. “Android. This matter is not your concern-” 

“Like hell It's not my concern, you conceited fuckwit.” 

“... I’m sorry-” 

“You fucking better be. If you are, I’ll make your death quick.” 

The elite seemed taken aback by Clover’s comments. Frankly, so was the knight. He had seemed so calm and composed when they had been fighting less than a minute ago, despite his situation. It was a jarring contrast, to say the least. 

Still, the elite did not let this comment overtake him, responding with something predictable. “You shall not slay those under the embrace and protection of the Forest King! We shall instead slay you, in the name of our wise and fair king and all that he stands to protect!” 

Then, something happened that no one expected. Clover laughed. A full, rich laugh, filled both with mirth at the elite and malice towards his words, then, he spoke again. “I will not be intimidated by some limp-spined, thoughtless drone of a being. I don’t really have much skill or taste for violence, but for you, you little high and mighty piece of shit? For you, and all the knights and soldiers who follow you blindly to their deaths, I will gladly make exceptions. If you value your lives more than your commander; and you should, you are free to leave. But rest assured, my dear commander, by the time this fight is over, I will have your head on a fucking pike! And every time I look upon your severed head as it rusts away into nothingness, I will laugh at the memory of _you_ , believing that you were anything better than what you are: nothing but a rat in the armor of a knight.” 

. 

.. 

… 

The elite was silent as he gave the order to attack. There was no war cry. No affirmation. No dedication to their king. The elite was agitated. Angry. 

And, as Clover and the knight waited for the attack to commence, they knew that such a thing was exactly what they needed to find a proper opening. 

*** 

Daniel hadn’t really been planning on saying much of anything to the haughty elite as he made his way over to them. But, when the Machine had been acting so conceited, so arrogant, it had reminded him so much of the bullies that he'd thought to have outrun in some of his more formative years. The words had simply started slipping out of his mouth. And he hadn’t stopped. For thirty straight seconds. 

But, as he dodged out of the way of the spear that came flying at his face and sliced the attacker in half, he felt as though the Machine’s anger was quickly being turned to their advantage. A pretty simple tactic in psychological warfare. ‘If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him.’ He’d never read the Art of War personally, but he had heard a few quotes from it that stuck out at him as good things to take note of. Maybe a copy had survived? If Pascal’s philosophy books had, then there was a possibility that it had as well. 

The knight had taken the chance to relieve the spearmen of their weapons, leaving them defenseless when, inevitably, he followed up with a broad slash from his blade, slicing the first row in half without resistance of any kind. Daniel had little chance to admire this handiwork, as he was quickly preoccupied with the ones that had chosen him as their target. 

The elite was with those ones, waiting for the perfect chance to find an opening to exploit. The commanders were in a similar position atop their unnatural steeds; it was somewhat disturbing to see something with genuine sentience act like an animal. Daniel then grabbed the shaft of an outstretched spear and, with the wielder still attached, began swinging the instrument of death around like an oversized foam bat. The strength now provided to him by the light made the process quite easy. He managed to strike almost eight of the spearmen aside, some of which fell from a nearby sheer drop, when someone threw a spear at him. 

A guttural yell and leaping Machine told him exactly who had just thrown that at him. The spear had grazed his chest, leaving a gash in his clothing and a cut across his upper chest. It started to bleed. Not much, just a trickle. Even so, the spear had been dangerously close to hitting him somewhere vital. Okay, so nothing outside of the parts of his body covered in light were spared from harm. The last time this had happened, there had been a glow encasing his whole body. Well, at least this was starting to make some kind of sense. 

He then brought the spear above his head, the wielder still hanging on for dear life, and slammed him into the ground, once, twice, thrice, and the spearman was nothing but a pile of loose parts and an oversized oil stain. Daniel turned to the elite, who still stood behind the rest of his soldiers, and smiled. “Your head. This spear. Count on it, you rusty motherfucker.” 

Then, he planted the spear in the earth with considerable force, and turned to the mounted Machine commander, who, along with the half of the contingent from the spare squad, two of which were medium size and held large, jagged axes in their hands. Daniel gave a quick glance over to the knight, who was faring pretty well for himself, having taken up an axe from one of the larger Machines in his off-hand while he wielded his blade in the other, several Machine bodies at his feet as two commanders and the remaining foot soldiers prepared to charge him all at once. 

Daniel smirked as he turned his attention back to his own fight, the light on his hands suddenly flaring as it tried to crawl up his blade, but seemed unable to do so. That was unusual, but this whole situation was already far from what anyone would consider even remotely close to usual, so he elected to put it off for a more appropriate time. He leapt over a swinging strike from a spearman that charged him, landing right inside its guard and using that vantage to skewer the Machine through the head. 

One of the axemen tried to take advantage immediately, charging him with a scream and a raised weapon, as though it would do him any good. Daniel responded to this act of brave stupidity by cutting straight through the Machine’s raised arms, grasping the tumbling axe in his off-hand, and cutting through the head, only stopping when it hit something sturdy mid-way through the torso. Not missing a single beat, Daniel dropped his blade and grasped the axe’s long handle in both hands. Then, with the blade still buried in the body, he swung the makeshift warhammer towards the other two combatants. It caught the both in the torsos, and sent them, and the axe, tumbling straight towards that sheer drop. 

Then, mid-recovery, Daniel was nearly skewered through the stomach, the spear cutting his left side and spilling precious blood. The spear was, of course, being wielded by the commander who had stood back and waited for his opportune moment to strike. 

“Rude, trying to stab someone in the back,” Daniel said as he grasped the commander’s animal with both hands, pulling himself onto it to look the Machine commander directly in the eye. “At least when I decide someone’s going to die, they’ll see me coming.” 

With one hand still on the now bucking Machine animal, Daniel cocked back his glowing fist and punched forward. The commander didn’t fly off, he didn’t shake, and there was no sound made from his voice box. Instead, his face caved in, a crack f solid metal, machinery, wiring and mechanisms, all failing to bear the force of his singular blow to the head. Without that, the Machine fell limp, and the beast beneath him soon fell quiet. Daniel leapt from the Machine before it could fall over on itself, finding his blade quickly and picking up the weapon with a casual grace that he had picked up from A2. 

He turned back to the elite, who, to his own credit, had the wisdom to draw his sword. It was a mirror to the knight’s blade, except this one, clearly, had not been well cared for. Where the knight treated his own sword as a weapon, this elite seemed only to treat his sword as an ornament. Daniel gave a slight grin as he heard the knight finishing off the commanders who had tried to outnumber him. He raised his sword nonetheless. 

“You are a decent fighter. However, what you lack in experience is clearly being made up for by those strange augmentations you wield,” the elite said as he stepped forward, careful and hesitant. “But how long will they last before you run out of power to run them properly?” 

“Long enough to put your head on that fucking spear,” Daniel responded. It was a bluff, because he honestly had no idea how long this would last. Even so, he had to make the most of it. It would run out eventually. 

Daniel made the first move: a simple, quick overhead strike that anyone would see coming from miles away. The elite blocked it, but he didn’t shift his weight, turning what was meant to be a singular blow into the start of a clash. Given the elite’s physical similarities to the knight, they probably held a similar level of strength, so Daniel needed to find a way to force the elite into a different kind of situation. So, he decided to try the tactic that had worked thus far: punching. 

His left hand shot forward, and the elite immediately shifted the weight behind his sword to avoid Daniel’s glowing fist. Smart one. Given what he’d seen it do to the Machine commander earlier, it was probably a good idea to avoid those. But if that was the case, why hadn’t the knight had a huge chunk taken out of him when he had punched him earlier – later god damnit, you have more important things to worry about right now! 

The elite attacked next, simple strikes that Daniel blocked or parried with relative ease. While the elite had clearly been training for far longer than Daniel, it was obvious who was going to win the fight. Especially when Daniel decided to stop blocking altogether and started simply dodging the elite’s blows instead. All of them went wide. Overhead, vertical, diagonal, up, down, left, right, none of them got a scratch on him. 

As Daniel dodged, he wove his way backwards, step by step, until he felt a familiar weapon's hilt meet his heel. Then, without warning, he ducked the elite’s next attack and sliced into the Machine’s mid-section. Not enough to cut the Machine in half, but enough to damage it severely. It dropped to its knees, letting its blade slip from its fingers and applying pressure to the spot, as though it could feel actual pain. Then, Daniel grasped the top of the thing’s head and wrenched it upward, forcing it to look at his executioner. Daniel was smiling as he spoke. A vicious smile, filled with nothing but malice and disgust towards the thing he held in his hands. 

“I told you. Your head,” Daniel lifted the spear, and aimed the tip directly at the thing’s lower head. Then, punctuating each word with an upward jab from the spear, he then said. “This. Fucking! Spear!!!” 

When he was done, the elite was blissfully silent, his head stuck shaft deep on a spear that was at least his size. It was a satisfying sight to say the least. He sucked in a slow, deliberate breath, and let it out just as slowly. The light faded from his arms, back to whatever had made it come in the first place. The pain was coming on as it left. He could feel the blood sticking to his clothing. Damn. Well, at least none of it had managed to get onto his jacket. That was little comfort, but he liked the jacket. It was one of the few recognizable things that he still had from his old life. And it was at least practical, in a sense. He would have to replace the shirt, though. He still had some G in his pockets. Maybe it would be enough for a rough shirt? 

The knight came up to him then, sword freshly cleaned of blood, and gave him a stiff, respectful nod. “Thank you for your assistance. If it were not for your interference, I likely would’ve been overwhelmed quite easily.” 

“Well, I don’t think it would’ve been _easy_ for them, but you’re welcome. You seem a lot better than most of the Machines I’ve come across.” 

“Most? How do you mean?” 

“Just ran into some of who didn’t want to fight. It was a bit jarring, at first, but I really like those ones a lot. They’re nice.” 

“... pacifistic... Machines? This is unusual. I have not seen such beings in all my two hundred years of the forest.” 

“Well, that might be a bit of a problem,” Daniel said as he sheathed his sword at his hip and picked up the spear, the elite’s head still mounted upon it. “The world’s a much bigger place than this forest. Hell, it’s a lot bigger than this _city_. But it doesn’t seem like a lot of Machines or Androids have many interests outside of this place. That’s a shame, but I can’t really blame them. A lot of things are happening around here, and I don’t know what half of them are.” 

“How do you mean?” The knight asked, stepping beside Daniel as he picked up the makeshift camera, still undamaged, and placed it in the bag on his back before slinking his rifle over that. He hadn’t been able to use it during the fight, which was honestly a shame. But hey, at least he had gotten some practical experience with his sword. Granted, he had been assisted by that weird light that kept appearing, but experience was still experience. 

“Well, first there was whatever happened in the desert. Something was either made or born, and it was probably of Machine origin. I went to ground zero to investigate it. That’s when this started showing up,” Daniel held up his hand, letting it glow lightly. He didn’t feel the same strength that he had earlier, but he knew how to call upon that aspect now. He kept talking, deciding that it was for later, when he could properly experiment with A2’s supervision, letting his hand fade back to its normal coloration. “It’s been coming in either really weak or in big bursts of strength. The first one was a lot more... potent, than the one during this fight. After that, there was that massive sinkhole that opened up in the middle of the city, and I still don’t know why or how that’s ever there. It’s been... it’s been a crazy few days.” 

The knight was silent for several moments, as though in contemplation. His face didn’t move, nor did his body. But something seemed to shift in the air around him. Not in any physical way, but in a way that was instinctual. Then, the knight spoke. “That red... it’s not oil. It’s blood. It does not match any compound compositions of Android oil from before I left the network.” 

. 

.. 

… 

“... yeah,” Daniel admitted, though his hesitance was plain for the knight to see. “How’d you figure that out? 

“It is similar in chemical makeup to that of a common oil used by almost all Androids. Startlingly similar. But it’s different enough to be noticeable. Yours has a higher concentration of iron that is similar to what can be found in animals.” The knight answered. 

“So... you know. Now what?” Daniel asked, his hand almost drifting to the hilt of his sword before he stopped the movement. 

“Now... I know that you are human. And I shall keep that to myself,” the knight answered. “Consider it a repayment. For fighting those scum alongside me.” 

“I appreciate it,” Daniel said. 

“And I appreciate the risk you took for one you do not know. Your lie is a good one. Stick to it, for now. But do not expect it to last forever. All lies are eventually revealed for what they are.” 

“Yeah. Ace has told me something similar. So... you have anywhere to go?” 

“Not particularly. I have wandered for a while now. I once called the castle home,” Daniel almost yelled at the mention of the castle – he knew there had to be one out here, he just knew it! “but that life is not one I wish to return to. I have fought for a long time.” 

“Well... have you considered something else?” 

“No. What could there be beyond the next battle?” 

“What comes after the war. I could get you into contact with Pascal? He’s a pacifist, but he’s also a Machine. There’s a whole village with Machine just like him.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. I could take you there, if you wanted. I have to go there anyway.” 

“It... it sounds too good to be true. Are there truly Machines who have chosen to put down their arms? The concept... it seems ridiculous. It really does. I do not even know you. We are practically strangers.” 

“Well then, take it from a stranger who was just as baffled: they’re real. It was jarring, and a bit weird, but I promise you, they are every bit as real as the ground and the trees all around us. So... want to take that chance?” 

The knight was, again, silent. This was another one of contemplation, and it was much longer than the first. Seconds stretched on as he considered. Went over every way that it could go wrong. But, in the end, he came to a simple conclusion. H answered thusly. “Very well. I shall trust you in this. Although I must ask... I do not believe being human would give you access to such abilities as the ones you have been manifesting. Are we entirely certain that I did not have an error?” 

“Pretty damn sure. Like I said, as weird as this probably is for you, it’s even weirder for me. 

“Actually... now that we’re going to the village, we should probably give you a name of some kind. You know so that it’ll be easier for them to recognize you as an individual,” Daniel said as they walked, him leading them towards Pascal’s village. “Not after a plant, and I don’t know enough philosophers to know that the names aren’t already taken by others, so... Kai?” 

“No.” 

“Alright, how about... Charlie?” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Fair, fair. Okay... hmm... I might have something, but it’s a bit... much.” 

“Go ahead. I do not believe we have much time to choose one.” 

“Alright. Well, here goes: … Cain. Do you like Cain?” 

… 

“... It is easy to say, and is quite distinct in its own right. I shall take it. My new designation... no, my _name_ is Cain.” 

And with that, they continued to walk through the forest, all thoughts of battle and death fading into memory. For those two, it was a memory. For those they left on their field of battle, it was the last thing they would ever know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun one to write. Not just for the fight scene, though that was certainly a part of it. I always liked the idea that there are those rare few Machines who get sick of worshiping this one aspect of humanity, and that was something I started exploring in both this chapter and the last one. Cain is going to be another major character, and is also an OC of my own making, but we won't see him for a bit. Rest assured, however, I do have plans for him. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! See you next time!


	11. Repair and Prepare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daniel thinks on past actions, A2 debates the truth, and two more players make their first introductions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't really have a lot to say for this Chapter. I'm happy with what I've got here, and I hope you all enjoy what I've written!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Nier or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

Daniel stepped forward as lightly as he dared, his eyes fixed on the small Machine in front of him, blade drawn and ready to strike. He and the soon to be dead Machine were in the husk of a building that had certainly seen better days. A wall was falling apart all by itself, there were massive holes in the floors, and not one sign of any kind of upkeep, from Machines and Androids alike. It had been abandoned entirely, its only occupants being the occasional stray Machine that wandered in by happenstance. 

A Machine that Daniel quickly stabbed in the back, right through where the core would be, his left hand glowing as it looped around and tore the head from its shoulders. 

Daniel kicked the body away as he quickly went to work on the thing’s head, hearing a  faint explosion from inside the Machine’s metallic torso. He stabbed his sword into the ground, leaving the high-speed vibrations at a manageable tempo, using the blade like a saw to cut the head open, across the seam. It didn’t take long. The head split neatly in half where Daniel had cut, and the parts within were entirely undamaged. 

He carefully began pulling the pieces within the head apart, bit by bit, until he finally found what he had been looking for: a small part that fit the space of his index finger and thumb, shaped like a square with a variety of functions put into it. A Complex Circuit. The last part he needed for Basil to fix the Pod. He was glad it was coming together this well. 

Though it had taken longer than he’d wanted to. He hoped that A2 wasn’t too worried about him. They both knew that this was probably going to take a while, but he would have to at least check in with her by the end of the day. That got him thinking... what had her mission to Pearl Harbor entailed? It had certainly sounded dangerous beyond belief. Only four of the original twenty had survived. Had it been a suicide attack? He wasn’t sure. She hadn’t told him yet, and he wouldn’t ask before she was ready to talk. So, for now, all he could do was speculate.

Daniel opened his bag and placed the circuit inside, next to the two Complex Gadgets that he had received from Pascal when he dropped off the pictures and Cain. The knight had seemed awkward around those of his own kind who didn’t wish to fight on endlessly, but Pascal was very patient with him, and even offered him the role of town guard, once he had settled in. Cain had yet to accept the offer, but he did appreciate being accepted by the village. Daniel hoped that Cain was doing well. 

He picked up half of the Machine’s split head, the one with the eyes, its only real identifying feature, and stared into it. This Machine... he had killed it. He didn’t know how to feel about that. The Machines in the forest were one thing. Their ‘death to all outsiders’ policy had made it easy to justify self-defense. The only Machines from the forest that had been different had been Cain and the farmer, the former of which had basically declared a duel of honor upon their meeting while the latter was far from the influence of the knights, seeming to resent both them and their king. But these ones? The ones that wandered about the city aimlessly, without harming anything or anyone, as though in a trance? It was hard to say whether they were even alive. The uncertainty didn’t sit well with him. The knights were objectively terrible entities. But Pascal and the rest of his village simply wanted peace. What did he know about the Machines, anyway? They had been built for war. But other than that, he knew almost nothing. 

Daniel didn’t like not knowing something as important as that. 

He put the half of a head down, and put them both near its body. He did not pray for the Machine. He had never been religious. If an afterlife existed, he wouldn’t know until it was too late. He might’ve even found out, had he simply moved on instead of appearing here. Instead, he simply said, “I’m sorry. I needed the piece, and I know that Complex  Circuits are fragile to the point that they usually don’t survive in straightforward fights. It won’t go to waste.”

Not a prayer, he told himself. An apology. Not all Machines were evil. Yes, some were violent even after separating from their network. It was what came easiest to sentient weapons of war. But it wasn’t impossible for them to be different. Pascal was proof enough of that. 

While he was walking back to the Resistance Camp, he came across an unexpected face. Jackass, in the same clothes as before, took a moment to stop and wave to him. He waved back to them before they both met halfway. Jackass, of course, started the conversation. “What’s up, Clover?”

“Not much. Just getting some parts back to Basil. Anyway, where are you going? I thought that you and Isaac were assigned to the desert outpost,” Daniel asked, confused. 

“We were. Anemone called me in. Needs me on an activation project.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Something for  YoRHa . They’ve got a bunch of these Access Points from... I think it was either the twelfth or thirteenth Machine war? Either way, they’re a bit old, but they still work pretty well. Might’ve seen ‘ em around.”

“Not really,” Daniel answered. “I don’t know what much of this stuff is supposed to be.”

“Right, right, EMP,” Jackass muttered to themselves. “Well, I know they’re expecting you back. Heard you and your partner got into a fight back in the desert. Have fun?”

“Er...  kinda ?” Honestly, the fight in the desert hadn’t been any kind of fun for him. Maybe towards the end it had been, but the feeling of elation from that surge of power had immediately dampened when A2’s life had been threatened.

“That bad? Sheesh, I knew the Machines in the desert were simple, but not  _ that _ simple,” Jackass complained, rubbing the back of their head with a gloved hand. “Anyway, I’ve got a job to do. See you around!”

“Yeah, see  ya ,” Daniel responded, though half-heartedly. Her own talk of the desert and the ensuing fight had reminded him of his recent affairs in the forest. The fight with Cain hadn’t needed to happen. Honestly, it was a stupid reason to risk his life. He liked Pascal, but Cain had clearly offered him an alternative. One that he’d ignored almost entirely. Then there had been the fight against the elite and the rest of the squads. He’d felt the anger, he’d said the words. They were both his. But something had  _ pushed  _ him. A switch seemed to have clicked in his mind, and he couldn’t stop the tirade he’d been holding back. He  hadn't regretted saying any of it. He was just shocked that he had voiced that opinion at all. 

A brief flash came across his vision. Only for a split second, the silhouette of a man with a large sword, backlit by the flame of a dragon. And then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Ah. Great. He had been wondering where those random flashes had gone. This wasn’t a foreign presence, but it hadn’t been anything like when he had gone into memories of 11B. That brief moment had reminded him of battle. Of the desert and the forest. 

That was bad. If these kinds of things were beginning to happen when he wasn’t noticing, then he would have little reference for how to handle them. That odd specter that had appeared to save A2 at the last minute, not to mention the memories that had flooded into him during that fight... damnit. He had too many questions, and scarce few answers. All he knew was that these abilities, wherever they had come from, were beneficial. They did come at a price, however. The burst in the desert had caused him internal damage. Not much, but enough to make him bleed. And the fight in the forest had cost him stamina, which, thankfully, hadn’t been much of a cost at the time. But how many more of these abilities were there? What would their costs be? 

Again. Too many questions. Scarce few answers. 

He walked into the Resistance Camp without any fanfare. It seemed they were already becoming used to his presence. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Daniel walked over to Basil’s shop and pulled the Complex Gadgets and the  Complex Circuit from his bag. 

“Damn! You actually got them!” Basil said, pulling his goggles from his face as he examined them with the naked eye, to confirm his suspicions and to quell his disbelief. “Holy crap! Maybe we should give you a scavenging job or two! Hah! This is awesome!”

“Well, I can’t take all the credit. Pascal got me the Gadgets once I did a favor for him. He was very helpful,” Daniel answered, a light blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. 

“Yeah, he’s always been an alright sort. Still, how’d you get the circuit? These things are pretty fragile, you know.”

“I snuck up on a Machine that wasn’t paying attention and ripped its head off before the rest of the body caused it to explode.”

.

..

…

“... it couldn’t have been that easy,” Basil said, disbelief clear in his now visible eyes. They were dark, the same as Anemone and Hibiscus. 

“It wasn’t. I had to time it just right so that the head didn’t explode on its own when it had was separated from the body. After that, it was just a matter of opening it up and looking for what you told me to find.”

“Huh. Well, you got me the parts, so I should be able to repair that Pod for you,” Basil said as he placed the Gadgets and Circuit in what seemed to be a special place among his collection of miscellaneous parts; perhaps for more valuable pieces. “It’ll take me a day or two to work on the external damage, but other than that, it shouldn’t take very long.”

“That sounds good to me. What do I owe you for this?” Daniel asked.

“While I would love to say ‘nothing, it’s on the house,’ that’s not going to keep the shop open. So... how about we do what you did with Pascal. You owe me a favor, and I’ll call it in when I need something done. It won’t be obscenely dangerous, but it’ll probably be important to one of the projects I’m working on. That sound fair?”

“Sounds good to me,” Daniel replied. “Anyway, I’m  gonna check in with Aster and Anemone before I head back to the forest.”

“Get yourself patched up?”

“Something like that. I got into a bit of a fight, and I didn’t get out unscathed. It’s not much, but it doesn’t seem like she’s that busy right now, and I’d prefer to be careful. Anyway, guess I’ll see you in a few days!” Daniel said as he made his way towards Aster’s medical section

“See you around, Clover!” Basil said, giving Daniel a light wave as he left.

When Aster saw him, she gave a somewhat mirthful chuckle. “Got into a bit of a scrap?”

“Something like that. Sorry to bother you, but I’d like to at least get these cuts checked. I’m not exactly a medical expert.”  _ And I was in a hospital for almost four years! You think I’d have picked up on some of the basics. _

Aster nodded. “Sounds reasonable. Come behind the blinder and take off your shirt. I’ll need to take a look at the cuts themselves.”

Daniel complied, stripping both his jacket and his shirt from his torso, allowing Aster full view of the wounded areas. She examined them carefully, her face blank. Then, as she continued examining them, her brow furrowed. Her fingers traced gently across his skin, where the cuts had been made. Daniel noticed it then, too. And he, like Aster, suddenly wore a face of confusion. The cuts were gone,  little more than razor-thin scars. Healed in their entirety. He hadn’t thought of it at the time, but was this the reason that his internal injuries had suddenly... stopped? It would explain why he hadn’t bled to death. 

“Huh. You’re just... full of surprises,” Aster muttered. “Who’d have thought you had something as valuable as a self-healing unit. Those things are rare even for  YoRHa units. The mystery just keeps getting deeper and deeper...”

“Y-yeah,” Daniel said, pulling away from Aster’s touch and moving to put his still bloody shirt back on. 

“Hold on!” Aster threw something to Daniel, which he caught a bit awkwardly in his left hand. He let the item full unfurl, revealing a rough, tan-colored shirt in the style of most Resistance fighters. “Take that. I don’t think it’d been too comfortable to be wearing a shirt with your own red still on it.”

“... thank you,” Daniel said, quickly putting the shirt on over his torso and pulling his jacket on over that. “I think I needed to expand my clothing selection anyway.”

“Eh, it’s not much. Just a shirt one of my patients left here a while back. Should do until your old one gets sewn up and cleaned,” Aster said, scratching the back of her head. “Anyway, I think Anemone wants to see you. Wants to actually give you a way to talk to us.”

“I figured. What do you think it’ll be?”

“An old school radio receiver? The mobile ones; two-way radios. I think. I’m not really one for tech, I just put Androids back together.”

“I do  kinda get that. I don’t really get complex tech either. The closest thing to that I’ve ever gotten to stuff like that is salvage. Anyway, I’m gonna get the radios from Anemone. See you later!”

“See you around! And try not to get too hurt! I’m an Android, not a goddess!”

“I only promise to try!”

Aster gave a sharp chuckle to that as Daniel walked over to Anemone, who was, as ever, standing right in front of her table, maps and all laid out before her. She turned, and gave Daniel a brief nod. “Clover. I understand that your salvaging project went well?”

“As well as it could. I got the parts, but I should really give most of the credit to Pascal. If he hadn’t gotten the Gadgets, I wouldn’t have known how to get them myself,” Daniel said. He had never been one for praise. He appreciated it, but he never enjoyed much of the attention that came with that praise. Not when he’d been in his old life, and certainly not now. 

“Hey, you managed to do something very difficult in a matter of hours. I’d say that’s worth a bit of ego. Just a bit,” Anemone said, giving Daniel a firm pat on the shoulder.

“I know. I just  don't want to let it get to my head.”

“Fair enough. Anyway, you’re not here to discuss how you managed to get your hands on very rare pieces of hardware,” the Resistance leader reached across the table and grabbed what Aster had described earlier: a pair of two-way radios of matching design and size. Despite the fact that these could only have been put together from salvaged parts, they actually seemed to look relatively new. Must’ve been Basil’s work. He often boasted about being the Resistance’s best engineer, and after seeing some of his work for himself, Daniel was inclined to agree. 

He took the radio and placed it on his hip. “So, how is this going to work? Do these require any kind of a power source or something similar?”

“No,” Anemone replied, continuing with an explanation of the devices themselves. “They’ve been converted to run off the fragments of a Machine core that were repurposed as the batteries. And since the fragments in both radios are from the same core, these can be used to communicate with each other over virtually any distance, but  _ only  _ with each other or any other radios with the same core  fragments in  their batteries. I’ll check in with you every once in a while, just to make sure you aren’t dead and such. I might call you in when I need your help with something, but other than that, just expect regular check-ins.”

“That sounds good,” Daniel replied. He was about to leave when a shock of red hair caught his eye. He traced the color, perhaps one of the most vibrant things that he had seen outside of the forest, and quickly found its source. There were two of them, both female, wearing similar attire: a white dress which had been modified with a black portion at the shoulders and collar bone areas with a thin black ribbon tied at the throat, and a slit in each that ran almost all the way to their shoulders. They wore a black belt over the dresses and across their waists, with red leather pants, white belts, knee guards, and black boots to complete the outfits. They were mirrors of each other, as though they were skewed reflections.

What truly differed them, however, were their hairstyles: one wild but still controlled, and the other straight and neat, each reaching down to their backs. They each also had a small white flower in the corner of their hair, to the left for the wild-haired one and to the right for the straight-haired one. 

“Hey, Anemone?” Daniel began. “Who are those two? I haven’t really seen them around.”

Anemone quickly followed his eyes, and though she seemed hesitant, she did answer his question. “That’s Devola and Popola. They’re healers, but more in the sense of the technical nitty gritty. If I were to put it in simpler terms: Aster’s a medic. She keeps people alive, and knows some advanced techniques to solve some problems herself. Those two are doctors. Or, the closest thing we have to doctors. Moon knows  YoRHa won’t send down any Healers for the poor old Resistance. ‘Too valuable,’ she’d say, knowing full well she has fifty on hand at the least. Paranoid bitch.”

“Oh.” Daniel said, deciding not to comment on what seemed to be a lapse in judgment. Then, something occurred to him. “Why does no one talk to them? It seems like you’d want to get to know someone who might be saving your life.”

“You... right, EMP, amnesia. Easy to forget sometimes,” Anemone said. “Their model type... it was largely responsible for the deaths of almost three-quarters of the old human population. It kept on dwindling from there, to the point that those remaining were moved onto the moon in secret to keep from going extinct. There was a time when most androids thought that humanity was actually extinct. We wouldn’t have known otherwise; there were none of them left on Earth at the time.”

Daniel stewed on that information for a bit. Though Anemone didn’t know better, she was essentially describing his species’ brush with full-on extinction. And three-quarters of the population wasn’t a small number. Back in 2019, the lowball estimate for the world population, even with Legion on the rise, had been at least six or seven billion people, maybe more. He wasn’t sure how much of the human population had survived to the point that Anemone had described, but the lives must have been numerous beyond counting. And a steady decrease... that usually only happened in instances of extreme illness, like the Black Plague. 

But he let out a deep breath, recentering himself. “I suppose I can understand the reasoning, to an extent. But I have a question for you.”

“Yeah?” Anemone asked.

“Did those two actually have anything to do with what happened to that portion of the population personally? Or were they just lumped in with others of their type simply because of one incident?”

.

..

…

The silence went on for several seconds. So, they either did, and Anemone didn’t want to admit the answer to him, which would be entirely understandable by itself, or, more likely, they had nothing to do with it and happened to have that stigma put onto them because of their model. Aedan empathized. Not because of any personal experience; his living situation, both before and after he’d been hospitalized, had been somewhat comfortable. But he hated that such things were not universal. They should be. Everyone deserved the same chances as everyone else. To be loved. To express. To be who they truly were, and to not be judged for anything but their own merit. 

Then, Daniel reached his decision. He walked over to the two redheaded Androids, hoping to establish some kind of connection with them. If the Resistance decided to judge him for that, he’d let them. He wasn’t a part of them anyway. He liked them. But they certainly weren’t perfect.

He sat across from the two, setting one leg atop the other, and greeted the two Androids. “Hey! I’m Clover. I’ve seen you two around, but I haven’t had a real chance to talk to either of you yet.”

The two Androids seemed shocked by the fact that Daniel was even bothering to look at them, let alone talk to them. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, as though debating whether or not they should bother responding to him. Eventually, they both shrugged and turned back to him,  answering one at a time. 

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the wild-haired one said, her voice slightly deeper than he’d expected. “I’m Devola.”

“I am Popola,” the straight-haired one answered, her own voice far lighter and more delicate than her sister’s. “It is nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Daniel said, smiling slightly.

“Were you going to ask us about your wounds? They seemed to be fairly superficial, so Aster should've been able to handle them pretty easily,” Devola said, her eyes trailing to where his cuts had been.

“Actually, they kind healed up on their own. Aster said I might have a self-healing unit on me.”

“Seriously?! Damn, those things are rare,” Devola said, getting a bit excited. “Even a few would save us a lot of supplies and loads of work.”

“The reason they are rare is the reason they are so valuable,” Popola explained. “If we had so many that every member of the Resistance and  YoRHa had them, we would be out of a job.”

“I know, I know! It’s just... man, I would love to make one for myself. Wish I had some engineering programs installed just for that,” Devola said, sighing in frustration as she finished. 

Daniel gave a light chuckle, remembering a conversation during his initial training with A2 that had gone somewhat similarly to this conversation between the two sisters. They looked at him then, confusion clear on their faces. 

“What are you laughing about?” Popola asked, a slight edge to her voice.

“Sorry, sorry! Just reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine,” Daniel clarified. 

“Ah. Would that be this ‘Ace’ that I’ve heard mentioned around the camp?” Devola asked, her own voice far more relaxed. It seemed that Popola was the more protective of the two.

“Damn, does everyone in the  Resistance know about us?”

“Pretty much,” Devola said with a shrug. 

“Huh,” Daniel said. The conversation hit a rut from there. Now that introductions were over, no one was quite sure how to proceed. It was a trend that Daniel had often noticed in many of his  conversations with high school  acquaintances , and he’d never quite escaped it. 

Then, Popola picked up the conversation from there. “Why are you being so normal?”

“I... what?”

“Around us? Why are you acting as though nothing’s wrong? Everyone knows what our model did. Everyone.  So when will the other shoe drop? When will you show that you truly, genuinely hate us?” Her voice was ice cold, almost devoid of emotion. But there was a fire in her eyes. She had been hated. Her and her sister. So much so that she expected someone’s first reaction to them to be hate. He couldn’t say that he blamed her for reacting this way. He wouldn’t have done any better. Hell, he actually might’ve responded worse.

But he answered her question nonetheless. “Because I don’t know you.”

…

“... I don’t understand,” Popola admitted.

“I don’t know you. Therefore, I don’t have the right to make that kind of judgment. Even if I did, it would take something pretty horrible and disgusting to make me hate someone, let alone someone I don’t know. But as far as I know,  you’re doctors. You help other Androids. Even if they don’t necessarily say thank you. Or even like you for it. I think that’s commendable.”

Popola seemed somewhat shocked, while Devola whistled, her face giving away the fact that she was actually somewhat impressed by his answer. Crap, this was getting embarrassing. Daniel tried to hide his blush. Though he had just been ribbed by one of them, while the other was entirely casual, he still acknowledged the fact they were still both very pretty. 

“W-well, thank you for not judging us. It’s nice to talk to someone other than my sister, Anemone and Aster, for a change,” Popola said. 

“Just doing my best,” Daniel replied.

“Hey, I just remembered!” Devola said, shooting up from her previously slouched position. “You said you got hit by a pretty bad EMP, right? Caused amnesia among a host of other problems?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Daniel responded. 

“Well, Popola and I could probably get into your OS system and take a look, if you wanted us to. See if we can drudge up some memories for you,” she offered, an excited gleam in her eye. 

Though the offer came from a place of genuine kindness and curiosity on Devola’s part, it almost caused Daniel to immediately break out into a cold sweat. He would have to play this off carefully. He didn’t want to tell any more  lies than he already had, but it seemed that in order to prop up his first one, he would have to tell more. Lies upon lies, until they eventually collapsed under their own weight. 

Daniel didn’t want to lie to these two. They’d already had enough suffering without his contribution. But he couldn’t be discovered. Not by  YoRHa , and especially not by Machines that were still connected to the network. Not yet. If they learned that a human was still on earth, everyone would be after him. Not all at once, but eventually, he would be a top priority. And despite these strange abilities, he didn’t think he would be able to fight even the lowliest B-Type. Not the way he was now.

So, with a  reluctant breath, he prepared to tell the hardest lie he had told thus far.

“I’m sorry, but I think I’m fine,” Daniel said. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the offer, I just... I don’t know what those memories are. And considering some of the flashes I’ve seen so far, I’m not entirely sure I want to know. And if I get those old memories back... will I still be this version of ‘me?’ Will I still be ‘Clover?’ Or will I be someone else entirely? It scares me, thinking about the possibility that I could fall asleep as me and wake up as someone else. Like I would just... not exist, anymore.”

Devola nodded. “I suppose that’s a reasonable fear, for someone in your situation. It’s still on the table if you ever want it, alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks for the offer. It was very kind of you.”

“Well, I had to show my gratitude somehow,” Devola said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Anyway, I hope to see you around.”

Daniel gave them both a firm nod, waving to them as he walked back to Anemone. She didn’t look mad, but she did seem surprised that he walked away from that conversation with a smile on his face. “I thought that Popola was going to give you a verbal thrashing.”

“She tried. I don’t really blame her for that, given the shit they must’ve gone through,” Daniel said. “I wouldn’t  have done any better, in her shoes.”

“Yeah. I’d say the same for myself,” she said. “Anyway, I hope we can keep in touch. If you need anything, just radio me. You might talk to different Androids on different days, since I won’t always be available, but they’ll listen to you.”

“Got it. Talk to you in a while,” Daniel said, the Resistance Camp shrouded by buildings in a few  short seconds as he made his way back to the forest.

***

“Took you long enough. Are you okay? Your shirt’s different.”

Those were A2’s first words to Daniel as he reentered their camp, a rough shirt in the style of the Resistance in place of his old one and a pocket-sized radio on his hip. He had all of his weapons, and he didn’t appear to be currently bleeding, but she was glad to see him back.

“I’m okay,” Daniel replied, setting his guns, bag, and the radio down by his usual spot. “Just had a bit of a skirmish with one of those patrols. Had to use one of the traps we set up. Speaking of, I think we should set up some more of them. The one I used  was effective, but I had to run half a mile to get to it.”

“I’m glad they work, but it’s going to be a bit of a hassle,” A2 said, stretching her arms above her head, her joints audible popping. “I can lift the logs well enough, but they're damn heavy. It took us an hour to even put one of those up, and we had to do that twelve times. Holding the things in place while you set up the triggers wasn’t easy, you know.”

“I can imagine. But I think I might be able to help you with the next ones.”

“How?”

That was when Daniel did something that she hadn’t seen him do before. With a glowing hand, he picked up a log of considerable size and hefted It above his head with seemingly no effort at all. She felt her jaw go slack in surprise at this sudden development, and didn’t bother to shut it. 

“Explain. Now.”

Daniel put the log back down where he had picked it up from, and began explaining what had happened to him that day. There were definitely holes in his story. She knew that there were resources in the forest that weren’t available anywhere else near the city, and she could understand why he would need them:  a Pod on their side could be absolutely game-changing. But there was also the question of how he’d gotten them in the first place. He was vague on the details, only giving enough information for her to potentially fill in the blanks on her own. He was lying to her. Not with any malice or harmful intent, but he was lying to her.

But... did she really have any right to call him out on that? She had been lying to him too, if only by omission. She was scared of how he would react to the truth of her story, and her situation. She had given him the barest of bare-bones explanations of it. It had only been a little less than two months, but she... she didn’t want to be left alone again. 

She decided to let this slide, for the moment. Now was not the time to confront him on this. Maybe, when she was ready to tell him about her full situation... she could ask him about what he was hiding.

“Okay, so... you blocked a sword strike, and suddenly you became much stronger and much more durable where you were covered by that light you were generating?” A2 asked, just to  confirm what she had heard. 

“Pretty much,” Daniel answered, letting his hand become encased in grey-white light for emphasis. “I don’t really know the limitations of it yet, but I do know that I’m not nearly as strong as I was during that burst in the desert. So... maybe what happened in the desert acted as a trigger of some kind?”

“Could be. That being said, we still don’t know how you’re able to do any of this or why, so... let’s call this working theory?”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Daniel said.

“Alright. Also, you should know... that massive sinkhole, in the middle of the city? Apparently, it leads directly to the Aliens. Turns out, they’ve been hiding underground for almost three hundred years.”

“... clever bastards,” Daniel muttered. “If they were underground the whole time while  YoRHa was in space, it must not be a wonder that they haven’t been found for so long. Any layer of earth that’s dense enough will drown out almost all radio signals. Even sonar has its limits.”

“It does make sense, when you think about it like that. But I can’t... why would they bother hiding underground for so long? I don’t know a lot about them, but for even a few dozen organic lifeforms to survive that deep for that long, they would need nutrients for  hundreds of years, and they couldn’t have just brought that all with them. So why didn’t they emerge from the ground a century ago? It doesn’t add up.”

“... you thinking about investigating it?”

“Fuck yes I am. We might have to wait a bit though.  YoRHa’s going to send in a pair of Androids to investigate the place first. And as much as I... disagree with  YoRHa , we can’t underestimate them, or the Androids they’re trusting with this mission.”

Daniel looked thoughtful for a few moments. “So, we wait for them to complete their own investigation of that area, and once they’ve cleared out, we quietly swoop in to do an investigation of our own?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“I’ll have to come up with a plausible excuse for Anemone to not check in with us for the time we’ll be investigating, but other than that, it sounds like a plan,” Daniel said, stretching his arms above his head. “The bones of a plan, anyway. Also, I don’t know about you, but I am dead tired. You cool with taking watch while I sleep?”

“D, I’m the only one of us that requires an hour of sleep.  Of course I’m good with taking watch,” A2 said to him. It was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Just... wanted to make sure you were taking care of yourself. You are, right?”

For some reason, that hit A2 hard. Not in any physical sense, but something in her chest, close to her Black Box... was this... was she happy? Happy that someone cared enough to be worried? That someone wanted her to be okay? She  wasn't sure. It had been too long for her to tell. But the feeling  wasn’t unpleasant. 

“I’m doing fine. Thanks for worrying,” she replied, a small smile on her face as she looked at Daniel. “Now get some shut-eye. Take your own advice.”

The brown-haired boy simply nodded to her, his lengthening brown hair shading him from the small beams of sunlight that broke through the thick canopy above them, slipping into peaceful slumber within seconds. She could probably help him cut that down to a more manageable length. After they did that, she would up his training for the next few days. Not enough to hurt him, but enough to push him  _ hard _ . They were going into territory that was being observed by  YoRHa actively. If they were careful, they wouldn’t even notice them. If they found them anyway... well, Daniel wasn’t prepared to face a combat Android yet. He wouldn’t be for a while. But it would be better for him to be as prepared as possible. 

There was no ideal situation for facing off against YoRHa troops. Sometimes, you just had to use what you had, and hope it was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you all ask, yes, you will be getting another investigation chapter very, very soon! I liked the last ones a lot, and considering their place of relative ignorance as far as the rest of the players in the story, I thought they would be appropriate. Anyway, feel free to ask any questions you want answered in the comments! Unless the answers pertain to spoilers. That would be making things too easy for both of us! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you all next time!


	12. Journals and Journeys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A2 gives a lesson in YoRHa Androids, Daniel reflects on days long past, and both enter the depths of the city's crater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get this one out a lot faster than the other lately! I'm actually somewhat proud of how this one turned out. It was surprisingly easy to write, too. What can I say? I like the dynamic between A2 and Daniel. Anyway, without further ado, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official release.

Daniel parried one of A2’s overhead strikes, attempting to slip into her guard, when her leg came up and almost hit him in the chin. He stopped his momentum mid-stride, letting the powerful blow from her knee fly past his face, the air trailing it almost as sharp as her sword. He backpedaled from there, taking a moment to regain his balance. It was then that he noticed her sword at his neck, poised to kill him if he so much as moved. 

“Dead. Again,” A2 said, her voice stern and cold, as it usually was during their sparring sessions. But she was far more ferocious than she usually was. She never went easy on him, but she certainly didn’t make him contemplate taking a break this early on. It had barely been thirty minutes. 

“Okay, I get it,” Daniel said. He didn’t want to complain, but consistently getting his ass kicked with minimal explanation was wearing on his self-control. He understood that she was imitating the tactics that YoRHa combat troops were most likely to use, but she had yet to explain how he was supposed to counter those tactics, if he even could. 

A2 seemed to sense his frustration, pulling her blade away from his neck. She gave a slight sigh then, and motioned for him to sit down on the nearby log. He did so, and was quickly joined by his wild-haired instructor, crossing her legs as she prepared her explanation. “The type of Android you are most likely to encounter in a battlefield setting are B-types. Their tactics are aggressive, fast, and ruthless. If you meet one of them out in the field, you’ll most likely die. But they’re also the type that has the most similarities to me, and I’ve had to deal with them before. So, if we run into any B-types, just leave them to me. Otherwise, your best chance of surviving an encounter with them would be to run as far and as fast as you can and to keep your distance. If they have a Pod with them, then pray you get a quick death.” 

“And if the Pod gets repaired before then?” 

“I’d still recommend running. We’d need to test out the Pod’s capabilities before I can make a definitive statement regarding that. But if it functions like an average Pod, then... it depends on who it’s with. If it’s with you, I would still say keep your distance. I wouldn’t even need the Pod to beat an average B-type, even if they had a Pod of their own.” 

“You sound confident,” Daniel said a light smile on his face. 

“Wouldn’t you be? When YoRHa found out I was still alive, they started sending their strongest fighters to come and kill me. And, well, I’m here, they’re not, and YoRHa decided that it wasn’t worth the effort. Or the bodies.” 

“Bodies?” Daniel asked, confused. “Like, the number of Androids it was costing them, or...” 

“No, not like that, I mean the literal bodies. As you’ve explained it to me, when humans die, that’s it. They can’t come back to life, with one very unusual exception sitting next to me,” A2 began. “For Androids, it’s more like when we die, our data can be uploaded to the bunker, either just before or during a battle, and if we happen to die during the course of that fight, we essentially come back the way we were at the time before the battle. Death is a means to an end for Androids. For most of them, anyway.” 

She didn’t go on for a minute, her hands grasped in front of her as though to keep them form shaking. There was clearly fear there, though she did her best to hide it. She didn’t have access to another body. If this one died, she would go right along with it. She was stronger, faster, and far more experienced than Daniel when it came to the realm of combat. But despite all of her advantages, and her skill at the practice, without YoRHa to back her up, she was just mortal as he was. Granted, she was much, much, _much_ harder to kill than he was. But she could still die. 

So, with as much tact as he could manage, Daniel tried to shift the topic away from her sudden mortality to a topic that was morbid, but more manageable for A2. “So, what about the other types? What should I do if I see them?” 

The wild-haired Android perked up a bit, though she didn’t smile, and went on with her explanation. “D-types are the second most common kind of YoRHa Android. They’re much sturdier and harder to take on in a head-to-head fight. Their tactics are a lot more conservative than B-types, and as a result, they’re much harder to bait. They’re patient, and oftentimes content to take blows until they see a perfect opening in an opponent's defenses. If you run into one of them, I would suggest either running or keeping your distance. If those aren’t an option, then sneaking up on them might be a preferable alternative. Basically: if you’re cornered by a B-type, you’re fucked. If you're cornered by a D-type, you have a very, _very_ slight chance of getting away, but probably not unscathed. If you’ve got a Pod, then you have a better chance than you would otherwise, if they don’t have a Pod of their own. If they do, then I’d suggest you run as fast as you can. The D-types that have Pods use them well, and often.” 

“Damn. You make Pods sound really, really dangerous.” 

“They are. Pods can turn an average YoRHa unit into a one Android battalion. I’m talking hundreds of Machines dead faster than I can swing my sword, and I can swing this thing pretty fucking fast,” A2 said, raising her blade to emphasize her point. 

“Huh. Well, let’s hope that Pod gets repaired before YoRHa cools down their operations.” 

“Let’s hope,” A2 agreed. “And then there’s the last of the ones you’re likely to run into. S-types. They’re a flighty bunch. Don’t take well to combat, and are used mostly as scouts and espionage agents. That doesn’t mean they can’t fight, they’re just not as dangerous as B or D types. In a physical capacity, anyway. They make up for their shortcomings in brute strength with their hacking abilities. It gives them a variety of options that most other Androids just don’t have. Their tactics are mainly of the hit and run variety, and they’ll usually do everything they can to avoid straight-up combat. If you have to fight a YoRHa Android, it should be them.” 

“Why? I don’t think I’d even be able to find them, let alone get a hit in on them. If they’re stealth and info specialists, they could just come up behind me and off me without alerting anyone.” Daniel drew a thin line across his neck with his index finger. 

“Not quite. If an S-type sees you around, their first thought won’t be to kill you. That’s too aggressive for their taste. No, their first attempt would be to hack into you remotely and either take over your body or cause you to self-destruct. In this case, that tactic won’t work. There is literally no way to hack into you. Which, for them, is a very, very bad thing. If they can’t hack into you, and you outperform them in a fight, well... I can say I know who I’m betting on to come out of there alive.” 

“... yeah. Especially now that I’ve got a grasp on this aspect of these powers of mine,” Daniel said, encasing his hand in greyish-white light as he clenched it. 

“Especially now,” A2 agreed. “Speaking of odd powers... got any better grasp on how they work? Any progress?” 

“Not really. It happened that one time due to stress and danger, but after that, it was kinda like I just... _knew_. It’s weird. I’m still learning the ins and outs of this aspect, but... if I just keep waking up and knowing how to do different stuff, that’d be awfully unsatisfying. I’m not saying it isn’t useful; it is. But it’d feel more like I was being handed this power than earning it.” 

A2 shrugged. “That’s not really something I can relate to. I’ve been able to fight the way I have since the moment I was made.” 

“I know. I guess it’s less a matter of practicality and more a question of ego,” Daniel said. “Like... am I not good enough to learn how these powers work on my own? Am I that useless?” 

… 

“... you’re a lot of things, Daniel,” A2 began, getting a little closer. “You’re a bit cocky, practical, oddly passionate about things I don’t really understand, somewhat snarky, genuinely kind, and a lot of other things I won’t list. But one thing you’re definitely not is useless.” 

Daniel gave a slow, steady nod. He wasn’t sure he believed it. In his head, it was a practical thing to think. He knew that he wasn’t useless. Satisfying his heart, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. Feelings were fickle things, like that. 

“... I just realized something.” 

“What?” A2 asked. 

“B, D, and S type Androids work kinda like Rock Paper Scissors.” 

“... I’m sorry, you’re gonna have to run that by me again.” 

“You know, Rock Paper Scissors,” Daniel said. “You’ve never played it?” 

“I’ve never even heard of it until a few seconds ago,” A2 explained, her head slightly tilted with a curious gleam in her eye. “Could you... explain it?” 

“Sure,” Daniel said, quickly going through the basic motions and hand positions of the game before continuing with his analogy. “So, if D-types are Rock, then they would have an advantage against Scissors, or B-Types, and a disadvantage against Paper, or S-types. If you apply that to the rest of the types we were talking about, then...” 

“... how do you come up with the oddest explanations for these things that somehow manage to make sense anyway?” A2 asked, genuinely perplexed. 

“It’s a gift,” Daniel said with a smile. A2 quickly returned it with one of her own. 

The moment passed, and A2 stood from her position on the log. “Okay. Back to practice. You ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” Daniel stood up too, his blade in his hand as he took his position at the opposite end of the ring of grass. There was a still silence for several seconds. Nothing moved. Then the wind kicked up, and they were off once more. 

*** 

Daniel observed the pass through the pair of binoculars that he’d bought at the Resistance Camp. They hadn’t been cheap, costing most of his and A2’s remaining G funds, and that had been at a discount because Basil liked him. He had debating simply using his rifle’s scope, but he also knew that most YoRHa Androids didn’t know about him by sight, and wouldn’t for a good, long while. Most people that saw someone aiming a rifle at them would probably assume the worst. Especially if that Android was wearing a half-mask to conceal the recognizable parts of their face like he was. The only two YoRHa Androids who could probably recognize him were 2B and 9S, and he hadn’t seen them in ages. They were most likely still alive and, if A2 was right, they would be investigating the crater that had formed during the massive earthquake. 

He used his binoculars to scan the horizon, sighting various, smaller Machines that were, as usual, littered throughout the city without any consistency. They were kinda just... there. Like they were part of the landscape itself. Daniel ignored the Machines, instead looking out for the YoRHa Scanners that he had seen inside of a building earlier. 

It took him a while to find where they’d repositioned, but he eventually did, sighting the pair as they waited out their shift in the husk of a building. One with black hair, the other with brown. He sighed to himself as he put down his binoculars and pulled out his pen and notebook, two other things that he’d managed to negotiate out of Anemone. It had only cost him a couple hundred G, which, compared to what he’d paid for the binoculars, had been a drop in the bucket. 

_The Scanners moved to another building again, after about an hour. They’ll probably move to the next one over after a similar amount of time has passed. No sign of any Androids going in or coming out of the cave._

He wrote it down in quick longhand, pen scratching lightly against the open page as he looked out over the place. It was beautiful, in a strange way. The view from atop the Engel corpse was a unique one, giving him more of a bird's eye view than most of the buildings in sight. It was peaceful up here. Quiet. 

Daniel looked down at his journal, and, after a few seconds of debate, started writing. 

_Nothing’s likely to happen for a while, so I guess I’ll try writing this out. Hi. I’m Daniel. If you’re reading this, it either means my stuff’s been stolen, I’m dead and you’re taking this off my cold dead corpse, or you’re rummaging through my things while I sleep, A2. If it’s the latter, I would appreciate it if you’d put this back where you found it. If it’s either of the former... well, keep it, I guess. I’m not_ _gonna_ _get any use out of this thing if I’m dead._

_Whoever you are, this is a kind of repository for my innermost thoughts. So, if you happened to stumble across this, I hope I have your attention. Like I said before, my name is Daniel. I’m human._

_I’m quite serious about that fact. I’m not delusional. I’m didn’t have flawed programming. And I’m certainly not crazy. I am human. I know that might be hard to accept, but it’s true. I’m probably the last human on the surface of the earth. I don’t know how I’m here, and I certainly don’t know why. If I did, I would be a lot less... skeptical._

_So... let’s start from the beginning._

Daniel went on to detail everything he thought would be relevant. From his last days alive in his old time to the past couple days planning with A2. He even mentioned the codenames he’d been using for the two of them, if only to call himself out for how edgy a name like Ace could be in the right context. Still better than Aurum, in his opinion. 

_And that’s why I’m sitting here, on the corpse of this dead Machine, scouting out a giant crater while I wait for_ _YoRHa_ _to clear out so that A2 and I can go check it out for ourselves. Man, if anyone from_ _my_ _time was reading this without context, they would probably think I’m nuts. I would._

_But I’ve felt_ _more free_ _in this time than I ever was in my old one. Back then, the Legion was basically everywhere, and I was stupid enough to get infected in a way that was completely avoidable. Thank whatever gods exist that Project Gestalt actually worked. Humanity has something of a fighting chance. I don’t think things are better, necessarily. The Machines present a much larger threat than the Legion ever did, and they were made by a species that’s all but unknown to us. The Earth doesn’t turn anymore, and it seems like this war between the Androids and the Machines has gone on and off more times than any war reasonably should._

_But at least the sun’s still shining. At least Earth is still here._

_At least I can walk without feeling like my bones will turn to dust from the effort._

Daniel stopped for a moment, debating on whether he should continue. His hand was feeling a bit sore from the effort of writing so quickly for the last few minutes. He sighed to himself, shook out his sore right hand, and continued on. 

_I do miss things, though. I miss having easy access to books. Right now, our selection is mostly what we have on hand that survived to this point. That’s not a whole lot. I miss TV shows, Cartoons and Anime. It’s a stupid notion, but they basically were my life when I was in the hospital. I miss my phone. I’ve got this radio on me, and it’s a good one. Theoretically unlimited range for communication. Still not quite the same as a smartphone._

_But mostly... I miss my dad. I wish he hadn’t died fighting the Legion. He should’ve been an old man when he finally kicked the bucket. He should’ve lived a longer, more fulfilling life. He was a tough bastard. Taught me a lot of things I never thought I’d need until I showed up in this time. He wasn’t perfect, but damnit, he tried so hard to be the best he could. That should be worth something._

_I miss mom. I miss her voice. I miss hugging her. I miss watching our stupid shows and trading wits with her. I wish she hadn’t died the way she had. She was so excited to have another kid around the house. She deserved that happiness. But I guess the world wasn’t feeling particularly generous._

_I miss Liam. I didn’t know him long but... I wish I’d known him as he got older. But it’s been thousands of years. He probably had a whole life without any knowledge of my existence. I should’ve been there for him. He should’ve had a chance to have an older brother. Even one as disappointing as me. I don’t know whether that’d have been better than nothing, but... I’ll never have that chance, now. Because I was high on propaganda, thinking that some kid with a bat and a pistol could save the world._

_What a spectacular fucking idiot I am._

Daniel stopped writing, and looked at the words on the page, ink quickly drying in the constant sunlight. He sighed and snapped the journal shut. There. It was done. He’d gotten it out of his system. It probably wouldn’t be enough. But it was a start. He was better at writing than speaking, anyway. 

The sound of heels on stone alerted him to the presence of different Androids. He quickly pulled his binoculars up and scanned the area he’d heard the sound. Sure enough, there they were. 2B and 9S, same black uniforms, blindfolds, and snow-white hair. They were heading straight towards the crater without a single missed step, clearly purposeful. A2 had been right. 

Daniel quickly noted down their arrival and continued to observe as they made their way down into the deepest part of the crater. Then, once they were at the opening, they went even deeper than that. They _floated_ down, using their pods as leverage to slow their descent. Damn, those things seemed super useful. Why the hell weren’t they more common? Maybe they shouldn’t give a Pod to every single Android they made, but they were such a large tactical advantage! Why wouldn't they utilize that fact as much as they could? 

A full ten minutes passed. During that time, he heard the sounds of battle coming from further down in the crater. An echoing, dull noise of metal on metal, and something he could only equate to plasma bullets being fired. After a while, the noise stopped. In the meantime, Jackass mad made her way down into the crater the hard way, with no Pod to slow her descent. Soon after, 2B and 9S emerged from underground, and quickly made their way towards the Resistance Camp. 

“Well... I guess that’s our cue,” Daniel whispered to himself. With that complete, he stood from his position on the Engel corpse, stretched out his body, and made his way back to the forest. 

*** 

“Sorry for telling you on such short notice,” Daniel said into the radio as A2 wrapped her face in a makeshift shawl, leaving only her eyes uncovered as her cloak trailed behind her. “But this is probably the only chance we’re going to get.” 

_“I can understand your reasoning, but... a whole week? It seems a bit extreme,”_ Anemone said through her end. 

“Because this is an extreme situation,” Daniel replied. “This is probably the only chance we’ll have to learn more about the Forest Kingdom and why they’re so fanatically loyal to this King of theirs. If we’re going to do that effectively, then we can’t be spotted for any reason. Therefore: radio silence.” 

_“I know, I know, it’s just... I’ve never liked operations that require this kind of thing. Gets me anxious. I get worried about my people.”_

“... as much as I appreciate the fact that you said that, Ace and I aren’t your people. We’re an odd duo who stumbled into this place. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your help. Getting you intel is the least I could do to repay you.” 

_“I... okay. Okay, okay, okay. I don’t like this, but I can see why you’d do an op like this. So... mind running it by me again? I want to be sure that I’m not missing anything.”_

“Sure. Even though the Forest Kingdom is ruthlessly hostile to outsiders, they don’t only kill Androids and other Machines on sight. They seem to be having some kind of celebration for the next week or so, doing different things on different days, all in the name of the Forest King. To be honest, they’re treating him less like a ruler and more like a god.” 

_“Can’t say I relate to the concept of worship.”_

“Neither do I. Anyway, they’re doing something different each day, all of them relating to something involving their king. I can say this for religion: they’re a good way to pass on lessons and information. Even if it’s unconventional. So, if we spy on them, we’ll get a lot more information than we would otherwise.” 

_“Well, I can’t say it’s a bad idea. There is a small part of the year where the Forest isn’t as well patrolled as it usually is. If what you’re saying is correct, then that time’s approaching pretty soon. But are you sure about this?”_

“As sure as I can be. And hey, when Ace and I get out of this... do you guys have any alcohol?” 

_“I wish! Nah, we ran out of the drinkable stuff about a month ago. Though Accord is supposed to be coming through pretty soon. Maybe she’ll have some on her.”_

“Sounds like a plan. Anyway, I’ll see you when we get off radio silence.” 

_“See you then. And good luck.”_

“Thanks. We’re probably going to need it.” 

The connection between the radios was cut off with a soft snap, and Daniel turned his off completely. He quickly took after A2’s example, donning the half mask he’d bought from Pascal’s village and wrapping his own cloak around his shoulders. His rifle was slung across his back, his pistol in its holster, and his sword was at his hip. 

The wild-haired Android gave him a smirk as he approached. “You ready to uncover some secrets?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Daniel admitted. “It’s not going to be easy to get in there unnoticed, even if YoRHa has laxed their security. You made them out to be pretty damn diligent.” 

“Of course they are. YoRHa Androids are nothing if not vigilant against Machines. But why’d you give us a whole week? We could probably go there and back in a day; two if we’re being _really_ careful,” A2 asked, confusion clear through the eye-slit of her shawl. 

“Because I wasn’t lying. We should probably start investigating the Forest Kingdom anyway. If nothing else, I would at least like to know why they keep trying to kill everything that isn’t them,” Daniel replied. 

“I guess that’s fair. You humans always want to know as much as you can,” A2 said as they began walking to the entrance of the forest. “And frankly? I’m starting to understand the feeling. I kinda want to know why too.” 

Then, without another word, the two set out to the crater in the city leaving nothing but a cold campfire and the chirping of birds and the buzz of cicadas in their wake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this one! The next chapter will be the second expedition! Albeit a shorter one, but I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you are too! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! See you next time!


	13. Memories and Mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A2 struggles to hold herself back, Daniel is reminded of the past and pushed toward the future, and several pairs of eyes have begun to focus upon the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This took me a while. Considering the sheer length of this thing, I think you can understand why. Anyway, I'm not here to bore you with the finer details of editing and prose. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the NieR or Drakengard franchises. They belong to Yoko Taro and their respective developers and publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

The first thing that A2 noted as they descended into the crater were the staggering  amount of Machines. It wasn’t a number that she would usually associate with their ranks, considering the fact that they were often scattered across the whole city. There were dozens upon dozens of them just... around. Standing idly by or they walking past, not bothering to do a thing. It was  a bit surreal. She had to resist the urge to cut their heads off as they passed. It was hard. Perhaps one of the hardest things she had done in all her years. It would be worth the sacrifice. She knew that in her head. So why did she have to keep thinking to avoid killing any Machines that wandered close to them and not give away their position?

They made their way down the gash quickly, with an oddly placed ladder that was, for all intents and purposes, reasonably stable. It was better than jumping down with nothing to slow their falls. A2 could survive the distance without much effort on her part, but Daniel had yet to learn how to extend that shielding light to different parts of his body, namely his legs. Still, they were down the hole quickly, their feet causing the ankle-high water that collected at the bottom of the entrance to splash. Her own feet made less noise than Daniel’s, though that was a result of her elevated heels in water. It was a small advantage, but one that wasn’t likely to last beyond the entrance of the deeper cave.

“... ominous,” Daniel muttered as he approached gaping maw that led deeper into the cave system. His left hand began to glow, iridescent grey-white light spilling into the darkness and lighting the way for a good twenty feet, leaving the darkness with a soft edge to it. “Who’s taking point?”

“I’ll do it,” A2 said, drawing her Type 4O blade as her heeled shoe met against the rock, a slight echo sounding from the motion. “I’d prefer to see while I fight, and you’re our best light source thus far. Feel free to leave that part of it to me.”

“Got it,” Daniel said, pulling his fully loaded revolver from his holster, cocking back the hammer and leaving the rifle on his back. A2 didn’t object to the action. It would be nice to have some covering fire, if it came to that. Besides, she would rather have Daniel be prepared than let him be caught completely unarmed.

They entered the tunnel, and A2 found herself extremely lucky that she didn’t have something akin to claustrophobia. Daniel a few phobias, of course – it seemed that plenty of rational humans had entirely irrational fears – and one of his was an extreme and paralyzing fear of falling, as well as an adjacent, though not nearly as crippling, fear of heights. They emerged from that portion of the tunnel into the next, finding a few lit torches on the verged of sputtering out, along with the remains of several Machines, sliced and chopped and otherwise entirely destroyed. Daniel looked at the Machine corpses in disgust and... was that shock, in his eye? He hid it well, but A2 saw it. 

She knew that this was  YoRHa’s work. She had been with them too long to not recognize their standard style of combat, even through the remains of enemies. Even so, something foreign stirred in her, seeing beings killed so savagely and efficiently. It seemed to grip something inside her chest, close to her Black Box, causing her discomfort despite the fact that she knew there was nothing physically gripping her there. But it was there. She could not deny that. Not to herself. This... what was this? Pity that the Machines had come up against an enemy they were clearly unprepared to handle? Sorrow that they had died so brutally? Anger that she had not been the one to kill them herself? Was it all three? Was it something else entirely?

The uncertainty did not ease her discomfort at all. If anything, it made the pressure feel worse.

As A2 led the way further in, her sword held in front of her defensively. They passed more bodies as they walked along. Less dense than the initial group, but still a significant number. There was not a single Android body amongst the fallen. This hadn’t even been a fight. This had been a massacre. That fact didn’t surprise A2. Daniel had confirmed that 2B and 9S had, indeed, been sent in first, as was apparently planned, and they had both been assigned Pods for their protection as specialized units. She could see the scorch markings from the plasma bullets and condensed energy blasts along the walls of the tunnel. This knowledge didn’t really help with the feeling in her chest. Even so, she buried it as best she could, and moved on. It used to be easy, when she had been alone. When no one had been around to judge her wanton slaughter. It was less easy when she was traveling with someone she cared about.

Eventually, they came to a large, dark, metallic door, with odd flooring of the same coloration and style extending for several feet before fading back to normal ground. It was different than the style that she was most accustomed to.  YoRHa was very distinct like that. Their style was more about hard angles and efficient use of space, with the occasional flourish here and there; the bare minimum required to keep up morale and excite some minor interest. The style that the Aliens used was very similar, but also very distinct, using softer edges and blue lights along the door. Actual color! It was leaps and bounds better than  YoRHa’s simplistic, fluorescent white light that hummed and hummed and never shut off. It practically bathed the entire case in a stagnant black and white, at least in her memory. With a substantial source of light in front of them, Daniel let the light fade from his off hand, holstering his revolver and drawing his sword from his hip. At this point, using a firearm in such a confined space with allies in the way would prove more detrimental than advantageous in any case.

The doors opened into a round, somewhat narrow hallway that led further in at an incline. There were steps within, which seemed a bit odd to A2. She had never seen an Alien personally, but from what little she’d had access to during her days in  YoRHa , she knew that they were distinct organisms from ordinary humans – they weren’t even humanoid. These thoughts weren’t helping the growing feeling in her chest. It had yet to cease. It was planted there firmly, tangible in a way that wasn’t remotely physical. 

Before long, they came to another metal door of the same style as the entrance, entering into what A2 would comfortably describe as the bridge of a spaceship. There was a long pathway what looked to be the ship’s “helm,” or the closest thing that could be considered an equivalent: a circular dais with a large, circular light in the floor that glowed an iridescent blue, the same as the ones in the hallway. There was a stairway that led further down, to the rest of the bridge. 

“... moon’s tits, this is fucking creepy,” A2 muttered to herself. “You’d think that there’d be some kind of smell, at the least. Battles usually leave one of those. It’s never particularly pleasant, but it’s normally there. You heard a fight happening down here, right?”

“Yeah,” Daniel answered. “I don’t know the finer details of what happened, but there was a fight down here. There should be some kind of damage; of any kind, even a few scratches.”

A2 nodded. Either the metal they walked upon was much,  _ much  _ more durable than it looked, or something had come through and cleaned it. Either way, it was disturbing to think about. The wild-haired Android led the way down the stairs, sword drawn, steps steady, gait slowed. Daniel followed after her, his own movements matching her own in tempo. They got to the bottom of the stairs in fairly short order. The second A2 stepped onto the bottom floor, the entire wall in front of her lifted up with a loud, metallic noise as gears shifted and worked their magic on the large shutters.

“... holy... shit,” A2 muttered to herself, Daniel’s shock entirely silent as the grip on his blade relaxed unconsciously. Just beyond the window was what could only be described as a graveyard of smaller ships of similar build, haphazardly scattered before the larger ship. They were oddly shaped, and seemed somewhat antithetical to the theory of space travel: it was made of four distinct pieces: two wings, a front shaped like an arrowhead, and a sphere in the center of the mass, all connected by thin slits of material that must’ve been quite strong to allow such a design.

“Those ships... they haven’t been used in centuries,” A2 said, noting the visible signs of decay on the other ships. “This... fuck, none of this makes any sense.”

“Yeah, but... I think  _ that _ would explain a lot,” Daniel said, turning back and pointing to something behind them. A2 slowly turned her head, and saw something unusually repulsive. It looked almost... funny. Like logs of carved, now rotten wood, shaped very peculiarly, almost phallic- esque in shape. Then, she noticed the numerous tentacles, the head-splitting grind, the hollow, dormant eyes. 

“They’re... they’re dead,” A2 whispered to herself. “They’re all dead! It looks like they’ve been dead for some time. Centuries. But this... this doesn’t make any goddamn sense!”

She punched the wall next to one of the corpses, causing a loud reverberation throughout the ship, bearing her anger and frustration. “Why?! Why are the Machines still fighting if their creators aren’t even here anymore?! Why do they bother with this stupid fucking war, on and off and on again, over and over and over and over?! Why... why the fuck is any of this happening? Why does none of this make any! God! Damn! Sense?!”

Her exclamations punctuated the four blows she dealt to the ship’s metal. Even after that, it had barely dented. She hadn’t been holding back for those ones. But A2 didn’t feel like noting the fact at the moment. She was pissed. She was confused. She was scared. 

A2 did not like being scared.

“... I think it’s about to make more sense,” Daniel said, his eyes drifting over to a different part of the ship’s floor. A2 followed his gaze, but didn’t see anything in particular, scanning the area until she found something different. An off coloration against the dark metal of the ship. It was white like snow, but small, and would’ve been unnoticeable if it hadn’t been for the contrast of the floor. And the texture... was that hair?

Daniel made his way over to the lock of hair, A2 at his back, their steps dull and hollow against the metal as they approached. He sheathed his blade at his side as he knelt down to the hair, his hand tentatively poised over the white locks. A2 thought she saw something around the hair, briefly. A slight glow, as though it were generating a light of some kind. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. A trick of the eye? Probably; the light coming in from the ship graveyard was surprisingly bright for something underground. 

“Well... at least we’re ready this time, right?” Daniel asked A2, his voice somewhat nervous.

“Ready as we’ll ever be. Don’t worry about your back, D. I’ll cover you while you’re in there,” A2 reassured him, leaning her sword against her shoulder in a gesture of casual skill. This would distract her. Protecting those she’d cared about had kept her worst doubts at bay before. Maybe it could help her again.

“Well... here goes nothing,” Daniel said, turning back to the locks on the floor. Then, with only a single second of further caution, Daniel touched the hair, and his eyes quickly went white.

*** __

_ “Okay... okay, okay, okay. I’m ready this time. Show me what you’re about.” _

_ Daniel had felt the moment he’d left his body. It wasn’t an abrupt pull, or swap in consciousness. He managed to retain some form of his body, unlike the last time this had happened, when he was forced to stay in a semi-omniscient role. It wasn’t that a view like that wasn’t useful, but he’d had little control when he’d been in it, even if he’d managed to get most of the major details.  _

_ The scene began much in the same way that it had for him and A2: two  _ _ YoRHa _ _ Adenoids, 2B and 9S once again, stepped into the bridge for the Alien’s ship. The shutter lifted, and the two expressed their shock and disbelief. Considering the fact that he had just come from a similar scene, and had only just finished reeling from the shock before touching the hair, it felt a little boring, to be honest. Did these powers come with a skip function? That would be awfully convenient right about now.  _

_ Then, something interesting occurred. From where the two Androids had entered strode through another two beings of similar physical make, but much more foreign in origin. They were the Machines that Daniel had seen in the earlier vision, the ones with the unnatural red eyes.  _

_ They looked quite different, now. For one thing, they both wore pants and shoes, though one was in the style of business slacks and leather shoes while the other was in the style of armored greaves and combat boots. One still had his white hair at quite a length, though not nearly as long as it had been the last time Daniel had seen him, only straying down to just past his mid-back. On his right hand was a glove that reached along his forearm all the way to the elbow, with red steel spikes at the fingertips, almost looking like claws. The other wore simple gloves that seemed more suitable for driving than fighting, with his hair much shorter than that of his counterpart, cut as though he were prepared for combat at any moment. On his left arm was a tattoo, a large one that went from his wrist to his forearm in a pattern that Daniel didn’t recognize. The two were quite well built, with toned, defined muscle structures and strong limbs. _

_ Then, the one with long hair spoke the first intelligible sentence that Daniel had heard either of them speak.  _

_ “Welcome... to the graveyard of our creators.” _

_ His voice was clear, level, entirely calm. And cold. Devoid of empathy. As though he were discussing the weather.  _

_ Then, the battle ensued. The Machines paired off, A2 with short hair and 9S with long hair. But for a while, nothing happened. A tension was brewing, the kind where the first to move would get a major advantage, and both sides waited for the opportune moment to strike. _

_ Then, the long-haired Machine spoke again. “My name is Adam. The Aliens you seek are no longer here. They were wiped out centuries ago. By us. The Machines. And who knows? _

_ “Perhaps we’ll wipe out the Androids next.” _

_ That same calm, steady, unerring tone of voice. Good god, it was so fucking cold. He could almost feel a  _ _ chill _ _ on his currently  _ _ nonexistent _ _ skin. _

_ Then, as though the comment of casual genocide was a spark, the battle began in full-force, 2B quickly catching up to the short-haired Machine while 9S kept his distance from Adam, pulling up some form of data screen and  _ _ launching _ _ a sphere of condensed light. Was that what Scanner hacking looked like? Was it a physical manifestation of a data attack? _

_ Still, Adam continued to speak, as though the fight before him were nothing more than an odd, if somewhat amusing, distraction. “Machines are weapons capable of evolution. We can grow. We can become... aware. Eventually, the intelligence within the network began to surpass that of our creators. You would be surprised how quickly it happened. Almost the blink of an eye. I can see it happening even now; such is an advantage of our network.” _

_ “You destroyed your own creators?! Are you completely insane?!” 9S yelled as he swapped to a more direct means of attack, throwing his blade at the Machine before manipulating the sword to chase Adam around the floor of the ship while A2 fought the short-haired one in an altercation that was almost pure, brute strength. _

_ “Oh, there’s no need to fret about them. They’ve been like this for the last few centuries, their bodies preserved only thanks to the sheer durability of this particular mothership. Besides, despite their accomplishments, they were... simple. Infantile. They were more like plants than any organic being you would assume capable of space travel. They held no value to us. _

_ “But the humans you have on that moon of yours? I must admit, they are quite fascinating creatures.” _

_ “Why them?” 2B asked as she sidestepped a plummeting strike from the short-haired machine, taking the opportunity to kick him in the face. _

_ “They are so inconsistent as to be an enigma!” Adam answered, shifting his head slightly and allowing 9S’ sword to fly back to his hand. “They have slaughtered a myriad number of their own kind, and yet they possess the potential to love one another in equal measure! It’s fascinating. This inconsistency, to love and hate so readily and so fervently... I have found myself wondering: what could drive such behavior in a being? _

_ “And so, my brother and I have dedicated ourselves to unraveling the mystery that is humanity. Their nature. The reasons why they are the way they are. And we shall allow you to assist us. After all, they made you in their image.” _

_ “Why the hell would we assist you with anything?!” 2B asked as Pod 042 peppered the short-haired Machine with plasma bullets, though he seemed to brush it off as though nothing was wrong. Had he built up a defense to plasma bullets? _

_ “It’s nothing complicated. Simply find the humans on the moon, and bring them to us. Preferably unharmed. Then, we will dissect them, analyze the tissue, their brains, every inch of  _ _ every body _ _ that we can get our hands on. Their secrets will be dragged into the light, one way or another. Surely you see the sense in this course of action?” _

_ “Again, are you insane?! We’d never do something like that!” 9S exclaimed as he engaged Adam in something approaching hand to hand combat, though it was more of the smaller Android swinging his blade as the taller Machine  _ _ sidestepped _ _ the blows by hair’s  _ _ breadths _ _.  _

_ “Well... I suppose that concludes negotiations. I believe I owe you an apple, Eve,” Adam said, addressing his brother as he continued to dodge 9S’ attacks.  _

_ “I told you, these Androids are stubborn. They won’t give in no matter how logical your course is,” the short-haired Machine, now identified as Eve, responded, dodging a high kick from 2B before countering with a straight jab, which the female Android dodged easily, backpedaling from her opponent to get some distance and recover her senses. _

_ “I know, but there was a possibility nonetheless. I wished to give them the... ah, what did that book call that bizarre concept?” A brief lull in his movements, brought on by his thoughts. “Oh, yes! Benefit of the-” _

_ A lunge from 9S brought his speech to an end, the momentary stop enough time for the short Android to close the distance between him and the long-haired Machine. His blade still missed Adam by a scant few inches, instead cutting away a few locks of his hair. For the first time in the fight, Adam’s consistent, carefree, almost unnoticeable smile faded from his face. His gloved right hand, the one that he had avoided using for the entirety of the f _ _ ight _ _ , was suddenly cocked back, formed into the shape of a claw. _

_ Then, just as quickly, the two more physical combatants stopped their own battle and launched themselves between their frailer counterparts, landing on their feet with attacks at the ready: a cocked fist from Eve and a raised blade from 2B. For a few moments, none of them moved an inch.  _

_ Then, Adam took a deep breath, and then a long, audible exhale as he stood from his sudden stance, dusting his shoulders of nonexistent dust. “Thank you, Eve. I lost control for a moment. But regardless of that fact, our business here is done. Let us be on our way.” _

_ Casually, the two Machines walked to the edge of the room, ignoring the blades still pointed at them by the two Androids. Then, in front of the window to the ship graveyard, Adam spoke again. “This is what befell our creators when we wished to be rid of them.” _

_ Then, for the second time since entering, Eve spoke. “Let us see if your  _ _ precious _ _ humans shall  _ _ fare _ _ any better.” _

_ Then, in an instant, they were  _ _ wreathed _ _ in hundreds of small ribbons of light, and were gone. _

_ Daniel had seen it all, from his own, semi-physical perspective. One could not have a true physical presence within a memory, only a vague approximation; unless, of course, the memory happened to be yours. Though the fact that he knew that, when he hadn’t before, was a bit concerning. He took it all in, breathed, and began to think. _

_ Adam and Eve. Odd choice of names. Had one of them found a surviving copy of the Bible? The fact that one could survive wouldn’t have surprised him at this point. If various books on philosophy could make it, why not a religious text? It was considered a fairly important book, even if some of the people who quoted from it relentlessly tended to be ‘holier than thou,’ dickheads. It wasn’t necessarily the rule, but those kinds of people had become increasingly common as the years went on his old time. Especially when some mad bastard claimed that the Legion were sent to earth as a test of God. That stunt had gotten a lot of people killed. _

_ Maybe  _ ** a ** **__ ** _ god had taken part in what had happened that day in Tokyo. Daniel wouldn’t have been surprised; something  _ _ like a _ _ massive  _ _ spatial _ _ rift in the sky was far beyond the realm of modern science. But  _ ** that  ** _ god, what he had spoken to as he laid unconscious for almost a week... it was not the God they spoke of in their book. It wasn’t a god from any major religion, Eastern, Western, popular or obscure. All he’d known was that  _ _ it had not meant well. _

_ And those eyes; those goddamn eyes... they reminded him so much of that ‘god.’ Why? _

_ Unable to get any further answers as he was, Daniel closed his own eyes, and took a breath, determined to  _ _ come _ _ back to reality. In, and out. In, _ and out. And suddenly, when he opened his eyes once more, he was back in the strange place he had seen the last time. A vast, blank grey expanse that sat on the edge of his consciousness. A place he had been to before, but could not remember visiting.

Daniel looked around, seeing nothing for several seconds, scanning the horizon for something,  _ anything _ , that would indicate where he was, or that he wasn’t alone. Then, in the distance, he saw something. A silhouette, almost a bump against the horizon. But when Daniel blinked, and squinted, he could clearly see that it was still there, and that it was as real as... well, as real as any of this could be; it was happening inside his head, after all. Presumably.

He ran toward it as fast as he could, legs pumping in a steady, constant rhythm beneath him, never taking his eyes from the slowly enlarging silhouette. Strangely, his limbs didn’t seem to become fatigued as he ran. In fact, his limbs were entirely grey-white in their coloration. It reminded him of the glow that his enhanced limbs gave off. But only his hands had so much definition. The rest of his body seemed... blurry. It was there, there was no doubt about that, but there was no definition to any of it. As though he was seeing his body without glasses. It was a strange feeling, comparing sight that required glasses to sight that did not, but it was the closest thing he could think of the compare it. 

The silhouette slowly began to take proper shape, before Daniel slowed down, entirely unperturbed and full of energy, while he took in what lay before him. It wasn’t something that was even vaguely humanoid, more spherical in shape, and pulsating with a soft, ambient light. He was examining it, curious as to what it was, exactly, when a noise suddenly came into his mind, unintelligible and alien to him.

** “#@!&@^^@, !@%@! #@^$@**@^^. ! @# %@*^ %@+^@^^, @^@@^^*#.” **

Daniel clutched at his head as the being spoke, his head almost splitting from the sheer weight of the words that he didn’t understand. It drove him to his knees, the pain so great that he could not even scream out into the endless oblivion. His jaw had locked; he could not make himself sit up, could not make himself do anything but try to alleviate some of the pain.

The sphere shifted, as though bending to look down at him. Then, giving a sigh that Daniel felt in his bones, the pain suddenly released him from its grasp. He took in a deep breath, though there did not seem to be any air to breathe, and propped himself up on his hands, centering himself once again.

** “My apologies. I have not had to shift my form so  ** ** drastically ** ** in countless  ** ** millennia ** **. Are you quite alright?” **

Daniel looked up at the sphere, which had spoken to him with words that he could both hear and understand. At least, where the sphere used to be. He gazed at the humanoid that now stood where the sphere once had, entirely devoid of recognizable features. As tall as Daniel, and slimly built, with no more definition than that to their form, nothing to suggest a masculine or feminine form; as close to androgyny as one could hope to get.

“I... guess I am,” Daniel standing to join the strange being. It gave him a look over. A gaze that seemed to judge and weigh Daniel in all but a single instant. “Where are we?” ****

** “We are in +#@ &^@@+ @*%@^^$@.” **

“The... what?” ****

** “My apologies. I am still adjusting to your tongue. It is very different from my own language.” **

“Language...? Are you some kind of alien?” ****

** “No. I am beyond organic life, in the respect of communication. In many other things as well. But that is not why we are here,” ** the being said, turning back to Daniel intently. ** “We are here to discuss  ** **_ you _ ** **.” **

“... why?” ****

** “That is exactly the point. Though I am not mortal, I must admit that such beings have always proven... interesting. And you are in unusual circumstances. You, a mortal being, have come back to life. More than that: as a result of your resurrection, intentionally or otherwise, maintained a connection to an immortal being. Me.” **

“You? So, then... are you the reason I’ve been gaining these powers?” ****

** “I suppose you could say that. I hope you have made use of my gift, as well.” **

“Your... gift?” ****

** “Yes, the ^^@$% @% +#@ ^@% ** ** @!. ** ** Your ^^@$%.” **

The being shook its head, as though in frustration. ** “Forgive me. It seems that you do not hold the required understanding. Not yet. I was too hasty in arranging this meeting. You must know more. You must  ** **_ understand  _ ** ** more.” **

“And how the hell do I do that? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re  kinda in the middle of nowhere. It’s pretty hard to understand things when there’s nothing here to understand.” ****

** “It is an understanding that... goes both ways,” ** the being said as it waved its hand over Daniel’s physical form. Suddenly, it gained definition, filling out and solidifying into what Daniel recognized as his own body, colored the same grey-white that his hands had been.

“What... what did you just do? It feels... right. Weird, but right,” Daniel said, moving his limbs as dexterously as he could. It was a little  addicting .

** “I have filled out the gaps in your power. Until now, your first Script, Shroud, was limited to your hands, due to the unique situation you faced. Now, I have cleared the gap you would otherwise have needed to overcome on your own.” **

“... why?” Daniel didn’t want to doubt the benevolence of the being that seemed to be the source of his power, but this... this seemed odd. It didn’t seem concerned with the war, with Androids or Machines, or even with humans in general. Just... him. He was interesting to this being. He  wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. 

** “Because I do not wish for you to die so early on in our journey because of mistakes on your part. That would be... unsatisfying. This will be your baseline. Do not expect me to be so courteous in the future. I must respect the sanctity of my own rules, else they are nothing but words. **

** “But do not fear. Your second of the four Scripts, Ray, can be gained in short order,” ** the being said, its hand drifting over to Daniel’s head. ** “If you choose to allow me to view a memory of yours, then the path to your next Script shall become clear to you. A simple matter of give and take.” **

“This... this sounds too good to be true,” Daniel admitted. “You haven’t even taken the chance to explain what a ‘Script’ is. Why are you asking to view my memories?” ****

** “It is my purpose. I...  ** **_ remember _ ** **. That is my purpose. To know and acquire that which no other shall ever truly recall.” **

“... does that include people?” ****

** “Perhaps,” ** the being answered, as cryptic and detached as when they’d begun talking. ** “But that is neither here nor there. Even so, we will not have much longer in this place. And do not worry. The requisite knowledge, and the base ability, shall be provided if you agree to this choice. So... choose.” **

Daniel looked at the being’s extended hand, then at the being’s face. “Can I ask a question, before we begin?” ****

** “Please.” **

“What is your name?”

Then, for the first time since Daniel had met the strange being, it laughed. A genuine laugh. Perhaps the fact that it was genuine was what made it all the more disturbing. But, when it finished its mirthful chuckle, it looked back to Daniel, and said, ** “I must apologize, Daniel. I am afraid I cannot tell you my name just yet.” **

“Can’t? Or won’t?” ****

The being did not deign to answer his last question, instead, grasping Daniel’s hand, and sending him into a memory.  _ He was very young. Only five or six years old. Liam wouldn't be born for almost another ten years, his dad was in military retirement, and his mother was watching TV with him on the couch. God, this had been so long ago. What year had it been? 2009? Maybe 2010? _

_ “Mommy?” the younger version of himself asked. Daniel had been about as small as one would expect a child of his age to be, and just as stupid; he didn’t gain his wits properly until he was ten. He wore a simple shirt and shorts, entirely bereft of shoes, kicking bare feet incessantly against the couch. “Why are they yelling at each other?” _

_ “Well, honey,” his mom began, looking just the way she had this very same day: long brown hair in a single braid that trailed down to her mid-back, wearing a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. “This is something that happens in life sometimes. People can get along very, very well, but they can still disagree.” _

_ “I don’t... I don’t get it,” the younger Daniel admitted to his mother. Damnit, why was he being made to watch this? _

_ “Well, think of it like this. If I told you that my favorite ice cream was chocolate instead of vanilla, what would you think?” _

_ “That you’re wrong, because vanilla is the best flavor,” the younger Daniel said, a broad, somewhat gap-toothed grin breaking out across his face. _

_ “But would you hate me for it?” _

_ “No! You’re mommy! I could never hate you.” _

_ “And there you have it. Sometimes, people disagree on certain things, but they can still get along as people. So, don’t be too quick to judge someone by the path they follow. Instead, look to their actions, to their history, to their morality. That will show you much more of a person than any book, movie, or TV show ever could.” _

_ Daniel remembered this day. He could even remember the exact date. July 21 _ _ st _ _ , 2010, ten days before his seventh birthday. It was one of the lessons that he’d tried to exercise in his everyday life. It hadn’t always worked. Sometimes, he’d been wrong, and someone turned out malicious or benevolent in spite of what he had thought they’d be like. Other times, people changed, learning how bad they were and genuinely striving to become better people than they had been before. And a rare few times, he just didn’t like someone no matter how nice they were, as though something about them were...  _ ** off ** _ , somehow, in a way that he had no words to describe. _

_ But he remembered this conversation. And as he saw the rest of the scene play out, his childish face split into another grin as his mother chuckled at the unimpressive joke her son had just made. God, she was there. She was right there, as though he could reach out and touch her. He had honestly begun to forget what his mother had looked like. And now... _

_ Daniel reached out his hand, aiming to tap his mother on the shoulder. Instead of touching her solid body, his hand passed through without resistance, reminding him that, though this was a memory, though it seemed real enough to touch, that was all it was: a memory. Nothing more, nothing less. The realization seemed like a physical blow to him. Because it finally sunk in. _

_ Even if humanity had survived, even if they had overcome the odds even in the face of utter annihilation, everyone he knew and loved from his old life had lived, died, and had long since returned to the ground. _

_ So, with no one but this being around to see, Daniel slumped to the floor, curled into a fetal position, and began to weep. He had been keeping this grief at bay for so long, buried these feelings so deep, that even he had forgotten just how much they affected him. His stay in the hospital had been as much an escape as it had been a gentle place to die. Keeping his mind busy with fictional worlds, happy and carefree, where everyone got a happy ending... it was all an escape from his grief. An escape from the intrusive thoughts of death that had loomed over his head like a reaper with a waiting scythe. An escape from the voice that told him to just head to the roof and throw himself off of it; to be done with the pain. _

_ He’d held on. Somehow. Maybe it had been his escapes. Maybe it had been the small kindnesses of the nurses and doctors who checked in on  _ _ him. _ _ Maybe it had been that girl around his own age, Alice, who always visited the hospital: first her grandfather, Adrian, bedridden from cancer, and then him, bedridden from White Chlorination Syndrome. He missed that old man, too. He’d been good at chess. Never beat him once. _

_ He’d died before Daniel had. Died with his family all around him, a gentle smile on his face. Alice came to the hospital less and less after that. Whether she had just become busier, was wracked with guilt whenever she came to their wing of the hospital, or something else entirely happened, she had never elaborated.  _

_ She was the first and only woman that Daniel had ever loved romantically in his old life. Whether those feelings had been reciprocated... well, she had kissed him. Kissed him intimately.  _ ** Very ** _ intimately. He’d enjoyed it. She’d enjoyed it too. Maybe even more than he had. But she had regretted it. The vulnerability it caused. The intimacy they’d shared. The warmth of her lips on his, soft, passionate, and headier than any vice, real or fictional. She regretted it all. He hadn’t known how to feel about the kiss after that. And all this time later, the uncertainty still sat within him. Buried, but not gone. Never gone. _

_ They had never been in a serious, committed relationship. No dates, no relationship drama, no major displays of affection and love, and certainly nothing even remotely close to sex. Just the precious memory of a kiss with a woman he’d loved. The rest simply hadn’t been in the cards for them. The timer on his lifespan wasn’t something that any prospective romantic partner was just going to ignore. Especially when she had lost her grandfather to something so similar. She had been through that kind of pain, the agony and the heartbreak it could bring, and didn’t want to feel it a second time. He wondered if she had come to his funeral; if he’d even had one. He wondered if someone had still cared enough to do that for him. _

_ It didn’t matter now. They were all dead. Mom, Dad, Liam, the kind doctors and nurses, Adrian, his family, and Alice too. Dead and buried. _

_ Daniel was all that truly remained of his old time. The last human on earth. And that made him feel truly, terrifyingly alone. _

_ *** _

Daniel came to with someone’s hand on his back, supporting him as he came out of his memory trance. He opened his eyes slowly, only to discover that his vision was slightly blurred for some reason. He rubbed at them with the edge of his sleeves, and it cleared, but the clothing came away damp. Had his crying in the memory been so powerful that his physical body mirrored the action in reality?

“ You okay? You were gone for a while there.” A2 asked, leaning in to look at Daniel’s face, her gaze raking over his body. For the first time in a while, Daniel was suddenly reminded of the fact that A2 was supremely beautiful and ridiculously sexy, to such an extreme degree that it seemed almost illogical. And though her proximity was made out of worry over his wellbeing, he couldn’t help but note how close their bodies were. How close her face was to his, only inches away. How easy it would be to-

_ No _ , Daniel told himself, shaking himself from those wayward thoughts of desire. Everything was still too fresh in his mind. The memory of the conversation with his mother, his breakdown, his subsequent, self-deprecating thoughts, the realization that everything he had once loved was gone. Too fresh, too painful, and too damn personal.

And even if none of his personal shit was a factor in this, A2 didn’t seem to want anything more than a platonic relationship. If he assumed anything, it might destroy the friendship they had been building over the past few months. And after reminding himself of Alice... he had to admit that he just wasn’t ready for a more intimate relationship. Maybe when the pain had faded. But not now. What he needed right now was a friend. And that was what she needed from him, too.

He didn’t want to lose her. If there was anything in this new world that he could not bear to lose, in any fashion, it was her.

Still, he dislodged himself from her careful touch, reigning his thoughts, and his hormones, giving her a reassuring smile that he was sure didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m okay. Thanks for worrying.”

“I mean... of course I’d worry. You’re our only light source,” A2 explained, pouting slightly as she crossed her arms beneath the area of her upper chest that had a slight extension. It was an unconscious tick that Daniel had never seen her use before. Then again, he had never seen her react like this. Maybe it was because she was getting more comfortable around him?

“Well, in that case, we should get going,” Daniel said, standing with a little effort on his part, offering A2 a hand up. “This isn’t exactly the greatest place to hold a conversation, after all.”

She quickly took his proffered hand, stood up, and led the way out of the ship the same way they had come in: A2 in front, blade drawn and ready to fight, with him in the rear, gun unholstered and ready to fire. Now that he had a moment to think, he could take a moment to properly process all of the information that his... “benefactor” had imparted to him. 

First and foremost was the name for these powers: Scripts, specific abilities that formed the baseline capabilities for... something. He hadn’t been able to catch exactly what could use these abilities, only that he could use them. He didn’t give the implications therein much thought. He was physically different than he had been in his old life, but this was still recognizably his own body. He was still human.

Second were the abilities themselves. Shroud was the first Script, and until about a minute ago, it was limited to the area surrounding his hands and forearms. Though he had yet to test it out firsthand, he knew that he could now extend the protected area to his entire body, and that it would cause him to light up like a Christmas tree. Not the best for a stealth situation, but if he needed to use it, stealth probably wouldn’t be an option anyway.

And Ray... it was an odd one. A good Script to be sure, and perhaps one of the more useful ones. But he would need practical experience using it, and unlike what his benefactor had done for Shroud, he would have to develop Ray to a substantial combat status on his own. That meant fighting. Well, there were plenty of Machines in the forest, and the ranks of the Knights weren’t getting any thinner. Might as well trim the herd a little; make it a bit easier to maneuver. 

As A2 began to climb up the ladder, Daniel noticed something odd in the cavern that they’d missed on their way in. A vending machine, upright and intact. How... was that how the Androids were disguising these travel points? To hide them from enemy surveillance? It’d make sense. Something relatively inconspicuous, and unlikely to draw attention. That was a smart move. 

After the brief thought, Daniel quickly made his way after A2, keeping his eyes on the rungs of the ladder, both to avoid looking at her behind and, more importantly, to keep himself from falling all the way back down to the ground down. He was not comfortable with significant heights, because those meant significant falls, and significant falls meant extreme injury and/or death. His knees didn’t buckle from the fear, but he did feel his limbs shake as he climbed, which was good enough for him.

A2 helped him make the last of the trek, practically hauling him the rest of the way up and letting her hand linger a moment longer than normal before they separated again. Daniel busied himself with shifting his rifle off of his back, checking the scope before using it to scout the area around the chasm entrance. Around the same  amount of Machines as there had been last time, and no sign of  YoRHa . That was strange, but according to A2, not unexpected. Their surveillance would not be seen from this angle, if,  indeed, there was any  surveillance here at all. 

He sighed to himself and, after performing a brief weapon check, put the rifle back on his back, gesturing silently to A2 to pass on what he’d seen. She nodded back to him, wild white hair hidden by her cloak and shroud as she passed in front of him, intent on leading the way back to the forest.

Unfortunately, something had chosen that very moment to bar their path further. With a sudden surge of movement, three long, serpentine metal bodies emerged from the ground, divided into several large spheres to make up their primary mass. An odd energy surrounded their bodies on almost all sides, sparking off to the nearest metallic thing that it neared, exemplifying the danger it already posed. Daniel cursed their luck and quickly drew his rifle from his back once again. While he would have used Ray on these enemies, he didn’t know if the attack would even affect them to the point of damage, nor did he  knew the limits of the energy that was shielding the majority of their bodies. Better to go with something he that he knew the limitations of and judge from there.

A2, in response to his drawing of weapons, quickly hoisted her own blade from her hip, sliding into a stance as they faced the still slithering, airborne Machines. There was a pensive stillness on her face, one of complete and utter stoic determination. It was not an expression Daniel had seen her use before. When A2 fought, she normally went all out, vicious grins and hateful snarls of all stripes and variations often adorning her beautiful face. This was different. As though she were holding something it.

The hesitation in her form did not last long, however. In an instant, she became a blur of motion, shooting straight toward the only portion of the nearest serpentine Machine that wasn’t covered by energy: the generator. Tradeoffs for supreme tactical advantages, he supposed. A2’s sword struck its mark, but did not cleave all the way through. It instead scratched the outside of the generator, leaving a long white line along its surface. Must be tougher than the metal used  to make most Machines. 

Daniel took aim at the same weak point and fired once, observing the effect through his scope. The shot impacted against the generator, but left barely an indent. The only evidence that his shot had landed at all was a large white spot on the metal, overlapping with A2’s own sword stroke. Shit. Was the metal used to make these things just that durable?

“Hit it harder!” Daniel exclaimed, aiming and firing another shot quickly thereafter. A2 clearly seemed annoyed by the advice, but it was the best he had to offer in this situation. Even metal durable enough to stop .50 caliber rounds and vibration-enhanced swords had limits. It would break eventually. They just had to keep up the pressure.

A2 quickly threw herself back into the fight, darting this way and that in rapid succession, striking with each pass, wasting no momentum.  Again and again and again she struck, long white lines overlapping on the tough metal of the generator, supplemented by his own bullets that left sizable indents in the metal. Daniel could see that the material, however durable it was, was starting to give in to her repeated strikes and his added assistance from his rifle. This could work! She could do it!

But she was looking more distressed with each pass. Her mask of calm was quickly giving way to unbridled rage and sheer distress. As though something was pushing her to the edge. Whispering things that would cause her to lose focus. To drop her guard.

Then, at the edge of his own hearing, he heard what the Machine serpents were saying to her as they circled around her, their movements similar to winding ribbons in the wind.

“STOP.”

“Shut up.”

** CLANG! **

“DANGEROUS ANDROID.”

“Shut up.”

** CLANG! CLANG! **

“BRINGER OF CHAOS.”

“Shut up, you fucking tin can.”

** CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! **

“YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE.”

“Shut up.”

“YOU WILL DIE AS THEY DIED: SCREAMING OUT IN PAIN.”

“Shut up!”

“THERE WILL BE NO ATONEMENT. THERE WILL BE NO FORGIVENESS. THERE WILL BE ONLY PAIN AND DEATH. AND YOU WILL DESERVE EVERY MOMENT.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DIE ALREADY, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

With her exclamation, she launched herself into the air, her blade raised above her head, prepared to put all of her strength into this strike. Without a second’s hesitation, she suddenly plummeted downward and struck without mercy, striking the optimal point on the generator, where the most damage had been done. With a loud, metallic crack, her blade suddenly hit the generator, causing to suddenly and violently crack open, allowing her to cleave the rest of the way through to the precious  hardware within. Her grin returned then, manic and frenzied, as though she had proven her point.

Before Daniel had the chance to warn her, the serpentine Machines struck out, their coiling bodies quickly encircling her and bashing her in the torso. The impact sent her skipping across the ground, once, twice, then skidding along until her body came to a sudden stop. Shit! Shit! Shit!

Daniel pulled his revolver as he unconsciously shifted his rifle back to his back, firing several rounds towards to encircling serpentine Machines as they slowly made their way closer. He skidded to a halt as he stopped in front of her, taking a chance on the lull in combat to quickly reload his quickly emptied sidearm. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah, but... urgh,” A2 clutched at her lower torso, where her stomach would be, if she were human. “That was a bad hit. I’ll be fine in the long term but –  ahg ! I... I don’t think I’ll be moving like I was for a bit.”

That was bad. She was the most combat-capable of the two of them. If she was down for the foreseeable future of the battle, then the fighting was going to rely heavily on him, and though Daniel was getting more and more used to battle, he was nowhere near her level of expertise and strength unenhanced.

But he  _ could _ enhance himself. He could make himself just as strong as she was. So why the hell wasn’t he? Had he become so used to backline combat, after all of the head-to-head battles he had been in? It was a realization that wasn’t particularly grand, nor was it flashy. It didn’t involve a lightshow, a new ability, or any kind of a sudden understanding.

But it was necessary. And as Daniel shifted his posture, holstering his revolver and drawing his blade, he knew his next course of action. “Rest up. Help if you can, but don’t exert yourself. That looked like a bad hit. In the  meantime ...

“I have some things to test.”

Daniel sped forward, unenhanced, his speed gained through his days running from the knights in the forest and sparring with A2. He wasn’t as fast as she, but still considerably faster than most humans. Even so, he did not dwell on this, instead aiming his blade at the generator of the nearest of the two remaining serpentine Machines. Just like A2’s sword, his own slid along the generator, leaving a long, considerably thinner white line across the metal, dealing only minor damage. He had expected this. Now that he was striking the metal himself, he could tell how durable it truly was. It spoke volumes of A2’ strength that she had been able to cut through the weakened stuff in only a single strike. 

He ducked back, narrowly avoiding a winding blow from the serpentine Machine he was striking at, the electricity from the shielding sparking towards him with a snap and hum. It didn’t feel too painful, though the sudden jolt didn’t help with his balance. Another branch of electricity snapped toward his face, so sharp that it practically cut his cheek, spilling whole drops of his blood to the littered ground of the crater. Daniel recovered as quickly as he could, backpedaling from his opponent and narrowly avoiding being struck by the second. This was going to become problematic. 

Okay. Time to test something out. 

Daniel took a short breath, and felt Shroud activate. The first and most basic of the four Scripts, and one of the most essential to combat. He felt the light coalesce and wrap around him, causing him to glow similarly to the way he had when he had first used these powers in the desert. He was still not as strong as he had been in that cramped place, but he was still considerably stronger than he had been just seconds ago. This time, he shot forward, his motion blurred in a manner that was surprisingly similar to A2’s own, and used his momentum to strike at the metal of the generator. He did it again, his own jumps shorter than his friend’s, and far more numerous. But he kept striking. Kept laying into this damn generator, this damn serpent that had caused his friend pain. 

It was like this for several seconds, until, at last, something gave in, and the generator broke open. Daniel grinned as he pushed his blade further in, further down, cutting into the insides and, before long, cutting straight through the generator as A2 had shortly prior, causing the rest of the serpentine Machine to fail, as the move had with the first of its kind.

He was about to do the same with the next, readying himself to strike out, when it suddenly encircled him, like a constrictor slowly trapping its prey, ensuring that he had nowhere to run. It bobbed and weaved in and around its own length, ensuring that its generator was not in easy reach of his blade, learning from the deaths of its comrades and almost certainly ensuring his death. 

That was, if he’d had no other cards to play. Daniel knew exactly how powerful the second Script, Ray, was supposed to be. He knew the basics for its activation, and that at his current standing, even a single beam would take a lot out of him. His stamina would grow with continued use, but at the moment, he could only safely fire off one,  _ maybe _ two condensed versions, as opposed to the regular ones. Then again, he didn’t have much of a choice in this matter.

Praying that this worked, Daniel swapped his blade to his off hand in a reverse grip, stretching out his dominant hand and condensing the energy that formed Shroud into a sphere the size of a baseball. Another thing about Scripts he had been unaware of: at his current level of mastery, he was unable to combine the effects of any of his known Scripts, or use more than one of them at any given time. These were both things that could be achieved through practice, and not relevant to his situation. Right now, he just needed to kill this Machine and get back to the forest with A2 as soon as possible.

As the serpentine Machine slowed, readying itself to suddenly trap and crush him, Daniel found his opportune moment: a single instant where the generator was fully visible. He aimed Ray at the exposed point, and with an intake of breath to steady himself, he shot forth a beam of grey-white light. It was as sudden and fast as you would expect a projectile of pure light to be, instantly punching through the metal and destroying the generator, causing the last of the serpentine Machines to collapse and die with no more sound than the crashing of its own body.

Daniel breathed heavily after that display of power. Damn. He had not been ready for that at all. The ability was a new one, and had yet to fully settle within himself. The base ability was meant to be a simple ranged attack that could strike through most metal, and could be further condensed for high-powered blasts that could break through tougher materials. Since Ray hadn’t settled into him yet, instead of taking a manageable chunk of his energy to fire, the condensed blast had required most of the energy he had used to maintain his full Shroud.

In essence, after a sudden and devastating attack, Daniel was running on fumes, and wanted to get both himself, and A2, safely into the forest before some wayward Machine came around and decided to try its hand at killing them.

Still taking in heavy breaths, Daniel stumbled over to where A2 was recovering from her hit, her eyes still wide at the display of new power. Her mouth caught up to her mind as he neared, mouthing something, as  though she couldn’t decide which question to ask first. “I... how... what... why...?”

“Later. We need... to get... to the forest. Recover. Maybe eat something,” Daniel explained. Neither of them was in a position to either exchange or process information. With a deep breath and a firm nod, A2 got Daniel over her shoulder and began leading him back to the forest, questions still unanswered and her fears  freshly stoked.

***

“Well... I must admit, that was quite interesting.”

Sasha turned to her companion; her boss, Accord. She was an older model, much older than Sasha was, as a twelfth generation  YoRHa model. She was probably made directly by the humans, back when they had been on earth. 

Accord was fair-skinned, with a pretty, doll-like face and a slim, petite body that hid the true reach of her strength: far greater than that of any human’s. Her straight black hair was cut short at the front and divided into two long tails in the back, one for each side, highlighting the wide, sparkling silver eyes she hid behind her half-moon-rimmed glasses. She wore a white blouse that was skintight at the torso, highlighting her meager assets, with puffy sleeves, exposing her collarbone with a detached shirt collar and a short black tie around her neck. She also wore a pair of simple black gloves over her hands, along with a pair of heeled, thigh-high black boots, a pair of skintight, white leather pants, and a short black skirt held up by a studded leather belt. 

By her side, as always, was a bulging white suitcase, with edged brass on each of the corners and a designed brass piece in the center of the main body. There was a lock of the same material held on it, and Sasha rarely seen it opened in battle. According to Accord herself, the day she had to open that suitcase with her black key would be the day she died forever.

“How would you say, boss?”

“The fact that I’ve never seen an Android, past, present, or future, who’s had abilities like that. I wonder if he’s a new factor in this timeline...” Accord wrote out a brief note in the thick leatherbound notebook that she kept on hand to record her findings. “Anyway, this is nothing to get yourself worked up over; I’ll handle it. Feel free to keep yourself presentable! Wouldn’t want Anemone to worry about that pretty little face of yours, right?”

Sasha blushed as Accord drug up her longtime love. A one-sided thing. It had been for the past few years of her life. Sasha would never admit to being a particularly pretty Android, despite the physical evidence to the contrary. A heart-shaped face with smooth features, large brown eyes, full-lips, a curvy figure, and defined muscles behind her slim physique. Her skin was a deep, chocolate brown, complimenting the short, curly black hair that came down to her neck; any longer and it would be sheer chaos trying to reign it in. Sahsa wore something a bit more practical than her boss: a tailored, recognizably feminine business suit, complete with a white button-up, a black suit jacket, a pair of black slacks, a simple brown leather belt and a matching pair of leather shoes.

“I appreciate your advice, boss, but could you please stop prying into my love life? It’s complicated enough as it is.” Sasha said this in jest, but she did mean it. No matter how much  insistence she proffered, Accord would take interest in whatever caught her eye. That was simply her way.

“No, it’s not. In fact, it’s remarkably simple,” Accord replied as she brought the binoculars away from her face. “Just tell her how you feel, and let what happens after... happen. If you stay like this forever, you’re going to become miserable, and I’m not going stand by and watch that happen to my friend. Especially you.”

“I... I will consider it.” It was all Sasha could do, at the moment. Admitting those feelings to herself had taken time. Multiple years. Confessing them to the person they were about... that was something else entirely. But she couldn’t deny that there was some wisdom to Accord’s words. Unconventional wisdom, but  wisdom nonetheless.

“What should we do about them? Should we alert the Resistance? Maybe YoRHa?” 

“Hmm... for now, we do nothing,” Accord replied. “We wait, we watch, and we observe, as we always have. From there... who knows? Maybe we’ll tell them, when the time is right. If that time even comes.”

“Of course. Shall we be off?”

“Yes. I believe we shall. We’ve got some weapons to deliver!”

***

Despite the hectic nature of managing half of the entire Machine network, until this point in the day, Adam had been simply relaxing. He had been managing the network in the background of his mind, lounging at this table with Eve across from him as he read another of his books. A history of humanity. Perhaps not one with the most extensive detail, or the most pleasant prose, but one with pertinent information nonetheless. He had even found the time to eat an apple. He had since learned that the fruit’s properties were not beneficial for a lifeform such as he, neither in a form of nutrition or a boost in knowledge, but the taste and texture were pleasant and sweet.

Then, someone had triggered the silent proximity alert he had set around the Alien mothership. He had checked on the disturbance briefly, and discovered two Androids scouting around the place. Given their cloaks, and the male’s preference for firearms, they were more than likely allied with the Resistance, if they had any allegiances at all. He kept the feed in the corner of his mind, and had then continued reading at a steady pace.

Then, the feed detected a burst of energy so sudden and so deadly that it had immediately gained his full, undivided attention. Even was looking at him with some concern, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was the one who had caused that energy. They could be a serious threat. 

It was the male Android, sitting the center of three large, serpentine Machines; an experiment of his that he had set to ambush any Android that came out of the entrance to the ship. They had full access to the network, and would use psychological attacks whenever possible. He’d wanted to try something he had read in “The Art of War.” It was an interesting read, and this war was the perfect excuse to test his knowledge in a real- world situation.

All of the serpentine Machines had been destroyed, their generators destroyed, two by being hacked to pieces, and the third and final one being destroyed by the sudden burst of energy. He played the moment over and over again in his mind, analyzing every pixel, every frame, every fraction of a fraction of a second, and he did it all in almost an instant. This was a complete unknown. Sure, Pods were known to utilize certain abilities that were similar to this, but Androids?  YoRHa had never even considered the possibility. Even the humans had not considered the possibility.

Then, he saw the cut on the Android’s cheek. It had been made when he dodged one of the serpentine Machines, not quite making it out of harm's way, and getting cut for his trouble. But his red... his red was deep, almost crimson in coloration. Normally, an Android’s red was much lighter than this, unless they were of a very old generation. But this...

_ Could that be... is that... human blood? _

The possibility seemed ridiculous. All of their gathered information placed humanity on the moon, where they were currently out of reach. Where it would be impossible to find them. And yet...

Adam gave the order for various Machine units to find as much of the male’s blood as they could scavenge. It was a stupidly low chance. A near impossibility. But not zero. Incredibly unlikely. Not wholly impossible.

“What is it, brother?” Eve asked, his shorter-haired counterpart asked. “You just gave a very strange order to Machines around the mothership.”

“Just... testing a theory,” Adam explained.

“Oh. Okay,” Eve replied. “Hey, do you think we could play in a bit?”

Adam sighed. His younger brother was always like this: less  concerned with their  purpose and more concerned with doing nothing but enjoy every vice he could find. Although, Adam could freely admit, he was also guilty of indulging himself every once in a while.

“Very well. But  _ only _ if you finish reading the book I gave to you.”

“Okay! I’ll finish that thing in no time!”

And Eve did. Adam indulged his brother in a spar; what Eve called “playing.” and meanwhile, in the back of his mind, various Machines preformed the task assigned to him. Testing the blood against all of the red oil samples they had compiled in the network would take some time. After all, this was a remote possibility. If he was right, then they would have to find this male immediately, bring him in for questioning, which would be almost immediately followed by dissection, and then disposal of the body when they were done with it. And if he was wrong...  well...

They had killed so many Androids over the years. What was one more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah, that was a lot. Accord's here, along with another OC of mine, Daniel's been reminded of the sheer loneliness he has to deal with, even when he's with A2, and has gained a new ability in the process, A2 had a bit of a mental breakdown mid-combat, and Adam has taken a sudden interest in recent developments. I think you all know which one is the most concerning. Anyway, I hope to see you all next time!


End file.
